ProMed provided event healthcare & playing surface emergency medical services (EMS) for the highly anticipated BKT EuroCup Group B stage basketball game. On Wednesday 17th December 2025, London Lions faced Beşiktaş GAIN Basketbol at Copper Box Arena.
Basketball team medics
ProMed has worked with BC London Lions since 2022. ProMed’s leadership team understands the demands of the tournament bylaws. They support the club’s medical team to transform an otherwise empty storeroom into a fully-equipped medical facility dedicated to teams/players.
ProMed’s operational infrastructure is needed to furnish a storeroom into a suitable base facility, before any medical devices or consumables are setup. Whether it’s fan heaters & desk fans to provide ventilation and temperature control, or tables & benches to work on, everything that’s required is provided by ProMed.
There are many subtle variations from typical UK ambulance service day-to-day practice, owing to the Europe-wide nature of the competition. Whether it’s how many staff crew an ambulance, or what specific medicines must be available, ProMed understand how their role fits into the wider medical picture. In turn, the medical section is just one part of producing the game. Basketball players are, on average, taller than the general population – so the medical equipment provided reflects this specific patient demographic.
Responding to the elite BC London Lions & Beşiktaş GAIN Basketbol teams, the crew comprising 2 paramedics, & 1 pre-hospital provider was ready for action.
ProMed’s sports emergency medical services work together with the club’s consultant doctor & registered physiotherapists. ProMed is the lead author on the club’s Emergency Action Protocol (EAP) for domestic & international basketball games. ProMed’s practice of meeting with opposition team medical followers, inducting them to the venue’s medical facilities, and including them in the pre-game medical briefing has been recognised as a best practice within the EuroLeague Basketball organisation.
Event healthcare solution for basketball fans
With over 5,000 basketball fans expected to descend on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park legacy venue – the third largest indoor arena in London, and the largest dedicated to showcasing professional sports, it was essential for ProMed to have the right resources in place.
Using a risk-based & intelligence-informed model, drawing on ProMed’s own experience of the venue, the basketball clubs, time of year, other events nearby, in addition to research carried out using public sources, a safe level of healthcare cover was assessed. ProMed actively requested information & intelligence from the event safety officer, London Ambulance Service NHS Trust & local hospitals.
The shared strategic plan developed throughout the day. In turn, ProMed’s tactical plan was updated to work within the overall event framework. Staff safety & response times are paramount. ProMed’s operational plans reflected the revised tactical intent.
Top-level clinical cover supported by high-quality operations staff
ProMed’s capable, cheerful clinical staff cared for 5,500 passionate fans. 2 paramedics, 3 non-registered healthcare professionals, 7 pre-hospital providers & 3 secondary responders deployed ready for any first aid or medical needs.
One tactical (silver) commander, present on-site, held ultimate responsibility for ProMed’s undertaking. Two operational (bronze) commanders provide direct leadership to the team. Collectively, they functioned to maintain situational awareness, understand risk, and make rational, informed decisions throughout the game.
Registration with & regulation by the Health Practice Associates Council (HPAC) means that ProMed staff are accountable. The external, voluntary regulator sets a code of conduct & fitness to practice standards. Patients, relatives, clients, other healthcare providers & members of the public can all tap or scan the HPAC identity cards to confirm the registrant’s clinical grade, latest DBS check time (within the last 24 hours), and driving status.
Staff wellbeing is important to ProMed. Staff receive a real Living Wage & a Living Pension – providing them with financial security now and in the future. Appreciated by the team is the welfare station with urn, fridge, microwave, teas, coffee, Cup a Soups, dried fruit & sweets. Disposable ear protection was supplied to all. Allocated to each key position is a high-noise radio headset. When response times alter patient outcomes, seconds lost to poor communication counts! Red emergency buttons are present & functional on ProMed’s radios, and every staff member is allocated a radio & earpiece each.
Preparing for duty
All staff received a thorough verbal briefing at the start of their shift. This is backed up with a written copy. Briefings cover game-specific information, our intent & methods, administration & communication processes, the game-specific risk assessment including safeguarding matters, and staff welfare needs.
During briefings, allocation of staff roles in advance for key situations is a common feature. Reading through action cards for major / mass casualty incidents, cardiac arrest calls, and patient extrication situations is a key part of preparation.
Medical facilities
Ensuring that all patients received the best possible experience, a fully-furnished medical facility was provided. The medical facility is capable of delivering Advanced Life Support (ALS) care, in addition to treating a wide range of minor illnesses & injuries. The facilities meet & exceed the demanding requirements of the tournament bylaws, as well as having the right equipment, medicines & consumables available for suturing & wound closure by the game medical doctor, if required.
Strategically positioned on all levels of the arena bowl is essential resuscitation equipment, including oxygen & automated external defibrillators (AEDs). These kit sets also include patient handling devices and Ten Second Triage (TST) tag packs.
An external biomedical engineering contractor services & calibrates ProMed’s medical devices at least annually. A program of daily visual checks by staff ensures ongoing reliability. Our medicines & consumables come from reputable wholesalers, so are traceable with a recall procedure in place.
An emergency ambulance for off-site conveyance stood by at the arena. An incident support unit (packed full of mass casualty kit), and a rapid response vehicle (containing additional supplies of medical devices, consumables & medicines) staged off-site but close by made up the healthcare contingency arrangements for the game.
Basketball never ends in a draw…
With 4 seconds on the game clock, Beşiktaş’ Vitto Brown drew the foul from Lions’ Shavar Reynolds Jr. After Lions’ final time out of the game, Brown made both free throws to tie the score 84-84. A buzzer-beating two-point shot from Reynolds Jr didn’t make the bucket, forcing the teams into 5 minutes of overtime to settle the score.
With the score tied again 96-96 and 8 seconds on the overtime clock, Coach Tautvydas Sabonis signalled his time out. His plan worked, with Beşiktaş’ Jonah Mathews fouling at 1 second remaining. It was a fantastic finish for London Lions, beating Besiktas – thanks to Shavar Reynolds Jr’s two made free throws!