I read with interest the paper by Waddington et al,[1] highlighting
the inadequacies of the football club doctor system in Britain. This paper
confirms the situation that many people already knew to exist.
Advertisements for club doctors are rarely published in medical journals
and are normally appointed on a “who you know” basis. It is also
particularly disappointing, that in a time when the specialty of...
I read with interest the paper by Waddington et al,[1] highlighting
the inadequacies of the football club doctor system in Britain. This paper
confirms the situation that many people already knew to exist.
Advertisements for club doctors are rarely published in medical journals
and are normally appointed on a “who you know” basis. It is also
particularly disappointing, that in a time when the specialty of Sports
and Exercise Medicine is being established in this country, the majority
of doctors working in contact with professional footballers have no
qualifications or little experience in the specialty. However, this
situation is not confined only to football clubs. I suspect that this may
also be the case for rugby clubs and many sporting associations.
One aspect not mentioned in the paper is the subject of medical
litigation. Although doctors involved in club football will hopefully have
arranged medical defence cover, if a situation arises where a player's
sporting career was threatened by medical mismanagement, the doctor
involved, with no professionally recognised sports medicine qualification,
could possibly be found guilty of medical negligence. With the amount of
money involved in professional football this could lead to dire future
consequences for the medical career of the practitioner involved.
After Hillsborough[2] following a report commissioned by the Football
League, the concept of the “crowd doctor” was introduced whereby any
doctor involved in the medical care of the crowd at a football stadium
would require to possess at least the Diploma in Immediate Medical
Care.[3] Prior to this the situation was similar to that of the present
club doctor system where few doctors held any recognisable qualifications
or training in medical emergencies and resuscitation.
A similar recommendation by sports medicine authorities is required
to enhance the quality of service provided to football clubs and increase
the stature of the specialty. However, it is not a one sided situation.
Football clubs must realise the importance of a medical team in looking
after their prime assets, the players. Advertising jobs in medical
journals, insisting upon experience and qualifications, adequate
remuneration and the provision of job descriptions and contracts all
require to be implemented. By working together to improve the current
situation a service can be provided that both professional football
players and the medical profession will have confidence in.
References
(1) Waddington I, Roderick M, Naik R. Methods of appointing and
qualifications of club doctors and physiotherapists in English
professional football: some problems and issues. Br J Sports Med 2001;35:48-53.
With regards to the excellence of the Australians in the last
Olympics, a small reposte is required. We need to examine Darwinism to
fully understand this concept. As you pointed out the Aussies did
exceptionally well in the water but have yet to fully evolve and are still
swimming. The Brits on the otherhand are further along the evolutionary
scale and have realised that to get from one island to...
With regards to the excellence of the Australians in the last
Olympics, a small reposte is required. We need to examine Darwinism to
fully understand this concept. As you pointed out the Aussies did
exceptionally well in the water but have yet to fully evolve and are still
swimming. The Brits on the otherhand are further along the evolutionary
scale and have realised that to get from one island to another you don't
need to swim, you can sail. And as for rugby (Union the proper code) I do
believe the English beat them recently. The other code attempted a
"world" cup recently but each side was made up of Australians and was
starting to resemble the US's version of a world series.
I read with great interest the article by Waddington, Roderick and
Naik regarding the appointment and qualifications of club doctors and
physiotherapists in English professional football.
Further to the messages put over in the text I feel that from a
physiotherapy side, just being chartered is not enough. In my experience
many professional clubs are employing chartered physiotherapists, s...
I read with great interest the article by Waddington, Roderick and
Naik regarding the appointment and qualifications of club doctors and
physiotherapists in English professional football.
Further to the messages put over in the text I feel that from a
physiotherapy side, just being chartered is not enough. In my experience
many professional clubs are employing chartered physiotherapists, straight
out of University to look after their academies and so comply with the
first regulations of employing Chartered physiotherapists.
These physiotherapists, have little (if no) experience of managing
the injuries of professional sport, and are been given the responsibility
of looking after the medical needs of junior footballers. There is a move
afoot within the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Sports
Medicine to ally with the National Athletic Trainers Association in
America with the possibility of producing Sports Rehabilitation and
athletic trainers within this country as recognised therapists to work
within sports.
I would urge all involved in the employment of physiotherapists
within sport to look for suitable candidates who have a good understanding
of the management of sports-related injury.
This will mean that the pay scales within professional football, on
the medical side, will need adjusting accordingly.
At the time when clubs are worrying about the abolition of transfer
fees - stating that fees are linked to the "skill level" of the player. I
feel the same system of financial compensation be applied within the
medical set-up, thus raising the standard of medical back up within
soccer.
Ian Horsley MCSP SRP
Lecturer In Sports Rehabilitation
University of Salford, Manchester, UK
I read with interest the paper by Waddington et al,[1] highlighting the inadequacies of the football club doctor system in Britain. This paper confirms the situation that many people already knew to exist. Advertisements for club doctors are rarely published in medical journals and are normally appointed on a “who you know” basis. It is also particularly disappointing, that in a time when the specialty of...
Dear Editor
With regards to the excellence of the Australians in the last Olympics, a small reposte is required. We need to examine Darwinism to fully understand this concept. As you pointed out the Aussies did exceptionally well in the water but have yet to fully evolve and are still swimming. The Brits on the otherhand are further along the evolutionary scale and have realised that to get from one island to...
Dear Editor
I read with great interest the article by Waddington, Roderick and Naik regarding the appointment and qualifications of club doctors and physiotherapists in English professional football.
Further to the messages put over in the text I feel that from a physiotherapy side, just being chartered is not enough. In my experience many professional clubs are employing chartered physiotherapists, s...
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