Two Cumbrian police officers have been carrying out research on the level of medical care following UK firearms incidents that, as Police Review comments drily, "revealed gaps". More strongly, the Federation magazine Police claims we lag behind the US and other European countries as regards training police officers in gunshot trauma control and that even our paramedic manuals devote ‘perhaps half a page’ to the subject.

One problem, apparently, is that should courses be instituted, despite the input from Northern Ireland, we would have difficulty in finding sufficient experienced doctors and surgeons to act as instructors.

Some moves are being made. For example the Authorised Firearms Officers (AFOs) in Cheshire’s Tactical Firearms Unit are copying the military by carrying (for their own use only) first aid packs on their left hips while Greater Manchester Police have installed a dedicated telephone line to the Accident and Emergency Unit of Hope Hospital. Staff answering the calls know they will concern firearms trauma.

Way ahead, however, are Kent Police. They have retained the sevices of a surgeon with wide firearms and blast trauma expertise. he attends all high risk firearms operations whilst those of lower risk are covered by the four officers he has trained who have also attended the Counter Narcotics Tactical Operations Medical Support (CONTOMS) course in Maryland which is normally confined to US law enforcement agencies. The moral is, if you’re going to get shot, do it in Kent.