Portugal stages football doctor workshop

The UEFA Football Doctor Education Programme (FDEP), in which crucial medical best practice is being exchanged and filtered down to medical staff at national level to help them in their vital work within national associations and clubs, continues to make its mark around Europe.

Portugal was the latest port of call for a national-level workshop in Guimaraes attended by doctors from the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) and top domestic league clubs. The workshop was organised by Dr Henrique Jones, Portugal's national team doctor and a member of the UEFA Medical Committee.

The workshop presentations were given by emergency doctors, experienced trauma and life support instructors and anesthesiologists. "The FPF course in Guimaraes was an excellent example of how UEFA's Football Doctor Education Programme is being successfully cascaded throughout Europe," said UEFA Medical Committee vice-chairman Dr Stewart Hillis, a guest speaker invited by the FPF.

"With the highest calibre national expert speakers and an extremely well-planned agenda, Dr Henrique Jones and the FPF managed to achieve a level of medical education that can only help the further spreading of best practice amongst football doctors in Portugal," Dr Hillis added. "It was a pleasure to be involved with such a professional course, and to see UEFA's work being supported so strongly by a national association."

The FDEP was launched in 2011. Its aim is to disseminate advice and information concerning the crucial work undertaken by the modern football doctor. Topics include 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.

Programme content is being filtered down through the associations via the hosting of events at national level, such as the workshop in Portugal. As a result, medical representatives of national associations are being helped to cascade the knowledge shared in senior international football down to the medical staff and club doctors at all levels. 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.