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Sports
Medicine
Medical
services for sport and physical activity have evolved
significantly over the last 50 years moving from an emphasis on
treating injuries to a multi-disciplinary approach which considers
the prevention, treatment, rehabilitation of injury and the
promotion of safe practice. There
is also an increasing focus on education and research, helping to
ensure the delivery of high quality services to both the
physically active public and elite performers.
Practitioners
from a wide range of professions are involved in the provision of
medical services for sport and physical activity.
They include: primary care, cardiology, respiratory
medicine, orthopaedic surgery, traumatology, physiotherapy,
podiatry, exercise physiology, nutrition, psychology and health
promotion.
Following
representation from a number of these practitioners and other
interested parties, the Sports Council for Northern Ireland
convened a working group to produce a strategy for the Development
of Sport and Physical Activity Medicine in Northern Ireland in
2001. The full Strategy document can be downloaded or can be requested from
Dorothy Spence.
The
strategy makes recommendations and develops an agenda for action
in 6 key areas:
-
promotion
of safe and healthy sport and physical activity;
-
clinical
services – National Health Service;
-
clinical
services – Private Provision;
-
provision
for High Performance Athletes;
-
sport
and Physical Activity Medicine Education and Training;
-
sport
and Physical Activity Medicine Research.
In
addition, the strategy recommends that a Sport and Physical
Medicine Commission should be established to ensure the
implementation of the strategy and the achievement of the agendas
for action.
Following
a comprehensive consultation process, the strategy was finalised
and launched in the middle of 2002. Work is currently underway to establish the Commission.
For
further information contact [email protected]
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