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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I indicate my availability?
Why haven't I had an email about the meeting?
Who makes up the team?
How do I join?
Do I need special training?
What equipment do I need?
Do I get paid?
Can I bring a friend or relative?
Can I bring children and animals?
Does it matter if I miss a meeting that I have said I will attend?
Where do we stay overnight?

How do I indicate my availability?
For team members: go to the Racesafe web page, marshals' panel (click on logo to the right) To log in, the username is your Racesafe Membership number. If you have forgotton your password, click the 'lost password' button and a new one will be emailed to you. If you don't know your Racesafe membership number, email me and I'll look it up.

For new members: a username and password will be sent to you when you join.

Why haven't I had an email about the meeting?
Availability is checked by the organiser a few weeks before any meeting and the allocations are drawn up. If you indicated that you were available after this time and the allocation is full, you will not have been allocated a place.
Emails with sign on times are sent out during the week before a meeting. If you have not had an email, it may be that you have not been allocated a place.
Please contact the organiser.

Who makes up the team?
There are doctors, paramedics, ambulance technicians, nurses, radiographers, physiotherapists, radiographers and medical car drivers on the team.

How do I join?
If you think you want to join the medical team for British Superbikes, you are very welcome. Have a look through the site, especially the frequently-asked questions (FAQ) page for more details.

Still interested? Email me with the dates that you're available and we'll arrange for you to come to a meeting as an observer and see you there.

As an observer, we try to treat you as a team member as much as possible. That means you sign on with everyone else, go out on track, in overalls that we can lend you, can go to incidents with the person that you are doubled up with but don't have to make treatment decisions. It also means that you are expected to turn up in time to sign on, go out with the rest of the team and not leave early. 'Observer' is not the same as 'spectator' and it is for people wishing to join the team.

Do I need special training?
You will need to know about working on a race circuit. This can either be by attending one of the Racesafe marshal training days at the before the start of the season, or by acting as an observer and being 'doubled up' with an experienced member of the team.

Doctors should check the BMA guidelines and those of their defence union on medical cover for sporting events. You must have medical indemnity insurance and have told your insurer that you are attending motor-racing events. Foundation year doctors (FY1 & 2) are not allowed to work outside hospital (APS) but can attend as observers.

Paramedics are insured during BSB practice and race days by the organisers. If you go to other events, you must have your own indemnity insurance.

Nurses, radiographers and physiotherapists must all have relevant, up-to-date experience eg nurses should be working in the Emergency Medicine department.

What equipment do I need?
You need to bring warm clothing (including hat, even in summer) and boots (not trainers) Overalls for the Medical Team are red with a horizontal white stripe and Proban-protected but, when you first attend meetings, basic overalls are acceptable. Overalls for loan are available.
Bring a rucksac or other bag for your personal items such as waterproofs, jacket and hat for cold days and suntan lotion for anytime the sun might be out.
Medical equipment is provided in groundpost bags.

Do I get paid?
There are only a limited number of places that have expenses paid. These are allocated to those who have specialist skills or motor-racing experience first. Other places are allocated to those who can do unpopular days or who show regular committment. Many people come along as 'observers'. They are treated as members of the team, can go trackside if applicable but do not receive expenses.

Can I bring a friend or relative?
There are a limited number of guest passes available for each meeting. Working members of the team are entitled to one guest pass each. Guest passes for observers and second passes are sometimes available, please ask.
Guest passes are not available for meetings that you are not working at, even if you didn't use your guest pass at a previous meeting.

Can I bring children and animals?
Do not bring pets - they are not allowed on any of the circuits that British Superbikes uses.
If you bring children, please also bring an adult to look after them for the duration.
Although we welcome guests, medical centres are work places and have limited space, so they can't be used as a base for guests or to visit for more than short periods of time.

Does it matter if I miss a meeting that I have said I will attend?
Obviously circumstance might cause you to have to withdraw, it happens to all of us. Please phone, text or email as soon as you realise you can't come.
Some people in the past have repeatedly cancelled at last minute and have proved unreliable. This is practice is not acceptable and will put you to the bottom of the list for popular meetings.

Where do we stay overnight?
The choices include camping or caravanning (in the marshalls' campsite, not the public one) staying in a hotel or with friends.
The camp site is free but hotels are at your own expense.
The marshals kindly share their campsite with us and have rules regarding behaviour eg. no excess noise after 11pm.