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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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