Recommended First Aid Kit
The below list is a suggested list - if you have your own kit preferences, or carry other items that you have been trained to use, then don't chuck it all out. Also, don't weigh yourself down with items you do not know/feel competent to use. But we do feel that it is essential to carry gloves, water and food.
You also might be able to obtain extras of these items below that you could bring to large protests for others to use. That would be really helpful - please tell us what you can bring, putting "quartermaster" in subject line. Email contact (a) actionmedics.org.uk
The list would cost about £50 to put together. We hope that you can fundraise this money yourself - a night or two rattling a bucket at your local pub, or hassling ten of your mates for a fiver should do it.
The List
| Item | Quantity | Notes |
| Gloves | 50 pairs | all patient interactions |
| Squeezy water bottles | 2 or more | multiple uses - VERY important |
| Medical tape | 2 rolls | zinc oxide or hypoallergenic [wound care] |
| Cleansing wipes (large size) | 50+ | cleaning dirty wounds, disinfecting |
| Crepe bandages | 3 | bone and joint injury care |
| Gauze bandage rolls | 6 | for pressure bandaging of wounds |
| Melolin wound dressings in 10x10 cm size | 20 or so | wound care |
| Triangular bandages | 2 | slings and swaths for fractured/sprained arms |
| Safety pins | 10 | can be used to improvise a sling from patient's clothing |
| Assorted plasters | minor cuts and blisters | |
| Blunt-tipped trauma/medic shears | 1 pair | removing old bandages or clothes to access wounds, cutting medical tape. (Tufkut scissors are a blunted variety. It is illegal to carry a bladed or pointed instrument in scotland) |
| Source of sugar: sugar or honey packets, sugar cubes, sweets... | diabetics, overexertion with hunger | |
| Rehydration mix to go in water (eg Dioralyte) | 5 | heat illness, exhaustion and dehydration |
| Snacks for medics and patients | energy bars, dried fruit, whatever - but avoid common allergens such as wheat, eggs, dairy, nuts, orange | |
| Space blanket (substitute: clean black plastic trash bag) | 1 | shock, hypothermia |
| Aspirin | Only a few | possible heart attack patients only |
Additional supplies for treating chemical weapons (if you have been trained with them).
| Item | Quantity | Notes |
| Liquid Antacid and Water | 100 ml squeeze bottle | 1:1 ratio of water and Milk of Magnesia or Mylanta or generic substitute [key ingredients: 200 mgs each of Aluminum Hydroxide and Magnesium Hydroxide, or 400 mg of one or the other, without alcohol or mineral oil]) Used for treating chemical exposures to eyes, mouth, skin, nasal membranes. |
| Nonsterile gauze swabs | 20 | Divided into 2 or 3 ziploc bags. Used for applying LAW to skin |
Optional extras:
| Item | Quantity | Notes |
| Tampons | A few | Normal use and good for nose bleeds too |
| Clean t-shirt sealed in a bag | One | |
| Extra plastic bags | Handful | |
| Head torch or pen light | One | |
| Ice pack(s)/heat pack(s) | A few | |
| Steri strips | A few packets | closing gaping wounds |
| Aspirin | Only a few | Possible heart attack patients only |
Only if you have been recently trained to use them:
- CPR mask (Laerdal mask)
Personal Gear
- Bandana and goggles (swim or ski type) for chemical weapons risk.
- A red or other brightly colored hat that helps visibility in a crowd.
- Long sleeved top
- Cargo pants (trousers with side pockets)
- Waterproof gear
- To carry gear, a fisherman's waistcoat or other jacket with many accessible, closeable pockets and/or a bum bag and a shoulder bag with compartments to organize gear that can be accessed while walking. Do not use a rucksack as a way to carry supplies; it may stop you treating people while in the street.
Where to buy it
This kit will cost a lot more money if you buy it from your local high street pharmacist. There are some internet first aid suppliers. Below are links to a few UK suppliers that seem to have reasonable prices. We do not particularly recommend any of these - we just did a google search. If you know of any particularly good (or bad) places (on price or ethics) then let us know.