Please do not mention this on the main board – this is information given to me in confidence and if more widely publicised will only damage the cause of all festival organisers in the thames valley area
I’ve only put it here as a number of us are involved in organising festivals of one kind or another, and it shows the other (normal peoples) side of the PEL argument…
I’ve just been informed by a reliable source within our local NHS Trust that a number of emergency hospital admissions have occured due to the Glade festival.
These include
1. a security guard/steward who was overpowered and beaten by people breaching the fence. His injuries are not life-threatening, but serious enough to warrant admission at A&E …. 🙁 OK perhaps he shouldn’t have tried to be the “big man” without backup but from what I was have been advised he was given quite a few bad knocks, rather more than “self-defence”…
2. several young mothers and babies – where it appears the mothers had taken drugs and forgotten to give their children sufficient food/water and the kids exhibiting signs of dehydration. All thankfully recovered now.
The A&E are also expecting a fair number of “shroom casualties” as people try to consume their stashes before monday (when they become illegal)
I asked my source whether the Ambulance Service/NHS Trust will mention this to the councils PEL committee – he said that the NHS do not normally do this; there is however a chance that “gossip” amongst blue light staff (particularly the non-paramedic Ambulance drivers) will cause info to filter through via the Police.
the casualty count (for this night) isn’t particularly high given numbers attending; but its still a fairly substantial cost to the NHS which would not perhaps have happened had the festival not been on…
lets say my contact immediately knew there was some sort of “rave” festival on due to the sort of people presenting to A&E that night….
just one ambulance is £150 then its about £150-500 for the NHS staffs time per patient – it is allegedly recovered via the PEL costs and ticket charges though.. (I bet the NHS don’t see any of the cash mind you)
I’m quite glad I did not go to this now – I had a nasty feeling the £84 ticket charge was paying in part for others’ stupidity 🙁
