Medirek covers film, TV and commercial productions at or near Guildford, Surrey, from its base in Alfold, Surrey. Cover is matched to the production's risk, from a single set medic to higher-level clinicians, ambulance cover, RAMS and tech recces, water safety and fire cover.
Guildford is Surrey's county town, with a steep cobbled High Street, a Norman castle keep and Guildhall, the River Wey and the North Downs on its doorstep.
Filming in Guildford: locations and permits
Productions use Guildford for historic street scenes, civic interiors, riverside towpaths and countryside within a few minutes of the town centre, such as Newlands Corner and the surrounding estates. Loseley Park, just outside the town, has appeared in The Crown. The steep, cobbled High Street is a classic location for period and contemporary work alike, but it is busy with shoppers and traffic, so crowd control, slips and trips and vehicle movements all need planning.
Who gives permission: Guildford Borough Council permits filming on its own land, including car parks, parks and countryside sites, and council sites such as the Guildhall and Castle Keep, and can help with unit bases. Filming on Guildford's highways, including the High Street, is permitted by Surrey County Council through the Surrey Film Office. Private landowners give their own permission.
Sources: Guildford Borough Council: filming; Surrey Film Office (Surrey County Council); Surrey County Council: Made in Surrey
Production safety and RAMS in Guildford
Permit bodies and landowners in Guildford commonly ask for a risk assessment, and some ask for full risk assessments and method statements. Medirek's production safety advisors can attend your tech recce, write production-specific RAMS you can submit with your applications, and provide an on-site safety manager, plus water safety and fire cover teams where the shoot needs them. Because the same team plans the medical cover, the RAMS and the medical plan match.
Hazards we plan for in Guildford
- Steep, cobbled streets and kerbs
- Shoppers and traffic around the unit
- Riverside towpaths on the Wey
- Exposed downland and long walks from parking
Medirek looks at these at the tech recce and builds them into the medical plan, including access for an ambulance and the route to the nearest emergency department.
What Medirek provides in Guildford
Unit and set medics
Staff are DBS checked, uniformed and hold relevant, recognised qualifications, ranging from FREC 3, FREC 4, ECA and RTACC through to HCPC-registered paramedics and nurses, with doctors where the risk calls for it.
Stunt and action cover
Higher-level clinicians for stunts, vehicle action and SFX, planned with your stunt coordinator.
Ambulance cover and conveyance
Arranged where the risk assessment calls for it. Medirek has 4×4-capable response vehicles for remote and off-road locations.
Health and safety, RAMS, tech recce
Production-specific risk assessments and method statements for your Guildford locations, informed by a tech recce.
Water safety
Bankside responders and in-water safety staff in full PPE for non-swift water.
Fire cover
Fire prevention advice and rapid intervention teams for SFX, pyrotechnics and builds.
Insured and clinically governed
Strict clinical governance, overseen by a GMC-registered Medical Director and a clinical team including paramedics and frontline medical staff, for consistent care. Insured with £2m medical malpractice and £10m public liability.
Confidential and responsive
Staff work under production NDAs and confidentiality. We endeavour to help all productions, including last-minute requests where possible.
Getting to Guildford
The typical route from Medirek's base in Alfold, Surrey, is via the A281. Unit base, call times and rendezvous points are agreed when cover is booked. We endeavour to help all productions, including last-minute requests where possible.
Frequently asked questions
Can you provide a medic for a shoot on Guildford High Street?
Yes. Medirek can provide a unit medic for street shoots in Guildford, with a risk assessment covering crowds, traffic and the steep, cobbled surface.
Who issues the permit for filming on Guildford's roads?
Filming on Guildford's highways, including the High Street, is permitted by Surrey County Council through the Surrey Film Office. Guildford Borough Council handles its own land and buildings.
Can you help with the risk assessment for the council?
Yes. Medirek can write production-specific risk assessments and method statements for your Guildford locations, which you can supply with your permit applications.
How far are you from Guildford?
Medirek is based in Alfold, about ten miles south of Guildford on the A281.
Can you provide a production safety advisor for a shoot in Guildford?
Yes. Medirek's production safety advisors can attend the tech recce in Guildford, write production-specific risk assessments and method statements for your permit applications, and provide an on-site safety manager, water safety and fire cover, alongside or separate from medical cover.
More filming locations nearby
Further reading: The most filmed towns and counties in the South and South East