Review analgesia deployment for firearms officers
Manchester Arena Inquiry · Manchester Arena Inquiry: Volume 1: Security for the Arena · Issued 17 June 2021 · Addressed to: College of Policing, Security Industry Authority, Counter Terrorism Policing
Source — verbatim from the inquiry
●Inquiry recommendation
The College of Policing and Counter Terrorism Policing Headquarters should review whether firearms officers should be deployed with analgesia and trained in its use, as part of providing Care Under Fire.
Manchester Arena Inquiry, Manchester Arena Inquiry: Volume 1: Security for the Arena · 17 Jun 2021 Source PDF →
Published evidence summary
Publicly available evidence relating to this recommendation:
- The dashboard states that 20 forces are now confirmed as having officers trained in use of analgesia, predominantly Penthrox (Manchester Arena Inquiry Recommendations Dashboard, Cabinet Office, February 2026).
- The NPCC Clinical Panel has completed consultation on national guidance which will be published shortly; use of analgesia remains a force-level decision under local clinical leads (Manchester Arena Inquiry Recommendations Dashboard, Cabinet Office, February 2026).
Response — verbatim from government
●UK Government
The Security Industry Authority (SIA) published a formal statement on 17 June 2021 in response to Volume 1 of the Manchester Arena Inquiry. The SIA committed to collaborating with the private security industry, law enforcement, and other stakeholders to implement the report's recommendations. The Home Office noted it would review the report and take action on recommendations requiring legislative change, including extending SIA licensing requirements for CCTV monitoring and security contractors.
UK Government · 17 Jun 2021 Written response →
Evidence trail — what's actually happened since
- 27 Feb 2026 The police use of analgesics is not confined to armed officers. There are now 20 forces confirmed as having officers trained in the use of analgesia (predominantly Penthrox). The NPCC Clinical Panel have completed consultation on national guidance, and this will be published shortly. This guidance will inform ongoing decision making of local clinical leads. The use of analgesia will still remain a force level decision, under the governance of local clinical leads and informed by force first aid risk assessments. All public facing officers and staff are now trained in pain management techniques as part of the new First Aid Learning Package (FALP). These include non-pharma logical methods such as reassurance, casualty positioning, splinting and distraction. Source →
- 14 Nov 2025 The police use of analgesics is not confined to armed officers. There are now 20 forces confirmed as having officers trained in the use of analgesia (predominantly Penthrox). The NPCC Clinical Panel have completed consultation on national guidance, and this will be published shortly. This guidance will inform ongoing decision making of local clinical leads. The use of analgesia will still remain a force level decision, under the governance of local clinical leads and informed by force first aid risk assessments. All public facing officers and staff are now trained in pain management techniques as part of the new First Aid Learning Package (FALP). These include non-pharma logical methods such as reassurance, casualty positioning, splinting and distraction. Source →
- 14 Nov 2025 · Cabinet Office Government published formal Manchester Arena Inquiry recommendations dashboard on GOV.UK (14 November 2025) tracking all 149 recommendations with implementation progress updates. View source → Reasonable Progress
- 3 Apr 2025 · UK Parliament Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 received Royal Assent 3 April 2025. Creates two tiers: Standard Duty (200-799 capacity) and Enhanced Duty (800+). SIA will be regulator. Not yet in force -- at least 24 months before enforcement (expected April 2027). View source → Reasonable Progress
- 5 Jun 2023 · National Police Chiefs Council NPCC, Counter Terrorism Policing and College of Policing provided comprehensive updates to Sir John Saunders demonstrating "continued drive to improve collective response to terrorist incidents." View source → Reasonable Progress
Each entry above links to a primary source — gov.uk written statement, consultation response document, or inspection report. The Index does not characterise government intent; it tracks what has been published.
How this page is built
Source and Response are verbatim from primary documents. The Evidence trail records published activity since — written statements, consultation outcomes, inspection findings, parliamentary references. The Index does not paraphrase or characterise intent; it tracks what has been published. Where the evidence is the absence of action (a missed deadline, a slipped timetable), that absence is documented from primary sources rather than inferred.
This recommendation's data is verified periodically against primary sources. The Index is monitored for staleness weekly.