Football doctor programme proves its worth

UEFA's member associations have embraced the UEFA Football Doctor Education Programme (FDEP) – with Serbia the latest association to make invaluable use of the initiative and pass on vital medical knowledge and expertise to help its medical staff fulfil a crucial role.

A successful FDEP course took place recently at the Sport Centre of the Football Association of Serbia (FSS) in Stara Pazova. The course centred on the emergency treatment of players, with 16 national team doctors and eight physiotherapists in attendance.

The six course presenters all had an advanced life support qualification issued by the European Resuscitation Council. Two of them were cardiologists, one a cardiothoracic surgeon and three emergency physicians. All the candidates passed the written examination and practical part of the workshop – comprising the use of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), automated external defibrillators (AED) and on-field stabilisation techniques: log roll, spinal board and neck braces.

"All the participants welcomed the high standard of the course and training equipment, and there was considerable gratitude to UEFA for its assistance with the medical equipment necessary for organising the event," said course leader and cardiologist Dr Emilija Nestorovic.

Launched earlier this year, the FDEP provides education and instruction in the essential role of the modern football doctor. It helps with the emergency treatment of players, roles and responsibilities of the football doctor, diagnosis and treatment of injuries, prevention and rehabilitation of injuries and anti-doping. Content has been developed in conjunction with the UEFA Medical Committee and sports medicine experts.

The workshop in Serbia gave a perfect example of how programme content is being filtered down through the associations via the hosting of events at national level. The objective is to help medical representatives of national associations to cascade the knowledge shared in senior international football down to the medical staff and club doctors at all levels.

To pass on knowledge as quickly and effectively as possible, UEFA is lending medical emergency training kit and supplying educational tools such as technical handbooks, trained course delegates to offer invaluable advice and an extensive online platform with learning facilities.

UEFA Medical Committee chairman Dr Michel D'Hooghe said: "The UEFA Football Doctor Education Programme is a course designed to help football doctors across Europe develop the techniques and expertise that are an essential part of the modern football doctor's toolkit.

"The course aims to teach effective treatment techniques, share real football experiences, identify best practice, and most importantly teach doctors how to disseminate the skills learned within their own countries. This will help to develop a network of highly skilled team physicians working across European football."