Statement – Chelsea First Team Doctor
FSEM Statement
Re: Chelsea First-Team Doctor Eva Carneiro attending a player at the Chelsea v Swansea match Saturday 8th August 2015.
A Sport and Exercise Medicine (SEM) doctors’ duty is to the health and medical welfare of his/her athlete at all times and a doctor must be allowed to make a proper evaluation of the medical injury.
The SEM doctor’s duty to the health and welfare of the athlete should be determined on clinical grounds and not be influenced by third parties such as coaches and management. A doctor’s position should not be subject to restrictions following the care of an athlete, provided the doctor has acted appropriately and in line with the GMC and FSEM code of practice.*
Ends
Note: The FSEM UK is not party to the medical issues in this case.
References:
*The Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine (FSEM) UK, Professional Code extract:
‘Decisions on fitness of a patient who is a professional sportsperson to perform physical activity should be determined on clinical grounds and should not under most circumstances be influenced by third parties such as coaches, management, or family members of the patient. It is accepted that coaches, management and family have an influence with the patient but the Doctor must always act in the best medical interests of the patient.’
‘At sports venues, it is the responsibility of the team or competition Practitioner to determine whether an injured athlete may continue in or return to the competition. This decision may not be delegated to other professionals or personnel and should not be influenced by the patients, or teams wish to continue. At all times, the priority must be to safeguard the health and safety of the patient in the context of their career and general medical health.’
Notes to Editors:
- The Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine (FSEM) UK was launched in 2006 and is an intercollegiate faculty of the Royal College of Physicians of London and the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.
- The Faculty has over 560 Members and Fellows, not including medical students. There are around 102 Sport and Exercise Medicine Doctors on the GMC specialist register.
- The FSEM not only sets standards in SEM but oversees research, training, curriculum and assessment of SEM Doctors, including providing revalidation services.
- Sport and Exercise Medicine consultants work in a variety of musculoskeletal and exercise medicine services across NHS primary and secondary care. They also work within sports from the ‘grass routes’ level up to supporting international teams and athletes.
- The specialty has a large scale application in improving the musculoskeletal and physical health of the general public through exercise advice and prescription. Further information about the specialty can be found in the Media & Resources section at www.fsem.co.uk.
Follow FSEM on Twitter @FSEM_UK Linkedin and Facebook Web: www.fsem.co.uk.
For further information contact Beth Cameron, PR & Communications for the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine. Email: pr@fsem.ac.uk, Tel: 0131 527 3498, Mobile: 07551903702.
