Recommendations & Conclusions
7 items
2
Recommendation
Third Report - Concussion in sport
Accepted
The reality is that, for most people playing sport, there is no one to stop them except themselves, their friends, teammates, and family. That is how far down the knowledge and awareness of concussion and how to respond to it must reach to ensure people seek the necessary help and …
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The reality is that, for most people playing sport, there is no one to stop them except themselves, their friends, teammates, and family. That is how far down the knowledge and awareness of concussion and how to respond to it must reach to ensure people seek the necessary help and treatment rather than returning to the field to the detriment of their long-term health.
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the recommendation and will task a working group to develop a communications campaign to ensure participants at all levels of sport are aware of key concussion messages.
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Department for Culture, Media and Sport
7
Conclusion
Third Report - Concussion in sport
Accepted
The current organisational structures in sport mean that there is no overall responsibility to mandate minimum standards for concussion and head trauma or to assess whether protocols are followed. The system allows sports to be funded as long as their protocols look good on paper with no effort put into …
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The current organisational structures in sport mean that there is no overall responsibility to mandate minimum standards for concussion and head trauma or to assess whether protocols are followed. The system allows sports to be funded as long as their protocols look good on paper with no effort put into assessing how those protocols work in practice. The fact that concussion does not occur at high frequency within the elite sport community means that little effort is made to drive numbers down even further. This means that, some preventable brain injuries are suffered, with the potential for long-term consequences for individuals. (Paragraph 37) Concussion in sport 31
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees and will work with UK Sport and Sport England to ensure publicly funded sports use new shared concussion protocols, encouraging them to decide the best approach. It will also recommend sports utilize English Institute for Sport expertise and consider similar clinical governance …
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Department for Culture, Media and Sport
17
Recommendation
Third Report - Concussion in sport
Accepted
We also recommend that the Government convene its own specialist group on concussion, drawing on campaign groups, relevant scientific expertise and sporting institutes to assess, every four years, the emerging science on this issue. This group should take a broader view of the existing science than the Concussion in Sport …
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We also recommend that the Government convene its own specialist group on concussion, drawing on campaign groups, relevant scientific expertise and sporting institutes to assess, every four years, the emerging science on this issue. This group should take a broader view of the existing science than the Concussion in Sport Group, with its priority on taking a precautionary approach to safety.
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the recommendation and will task the “sports concussion research forum” to undertake the role of assessing emerging science on concussion, with its full brief and reporting timeframe to be defined.
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Department for Culture, Media and Sport
18
Recommendation
Third Report - Concussion in sport
Accepted
We find it difficult to see any downside of a coherent UK-wide protocol for concussion and recommend that the Government look to the Scottish model and then work with the devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to develop, in the next 12 months, a UK protocol for concussion …
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We find it difficult to see any downside of a coherent UK-wide protocol for concussion and recommend that the Government look to the Scottish model and then work with the devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to develop, in the next 12 months, a UK protocol for concussion across all sport. This should be used by National Governing Bodies as the minimum standard in creating the rules for their sport and should take account of, and be consistent with, the national framework for the reporting of sporting injuries we recommended earlier in this Report. This protocol should be refreshed every two years.
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the recommendation and will work with the devolved nations and sports councils to develop a UK-wide concussion protocol, based on the Scottish model. The Sport and Recreation Alliance will lead this work, expected to start by the end of 2021 and …
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Department for Culture, Media and Sport
19
Recommendation
Third Report - Concussion in sport
Accepted
Once this protocol is in place we recommend the Government deliver a comprehensive communications campaign to ensure that everyone involved in sport, from the athletes to coaches and doctors, is aware of best practice. This campaign should signpost where people can find the most current, well-evidenced advice on what action …
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Once this protocol is in place we recommend the Government deliver a comprehensive communications campaign to ensure that everyone involved in sport, from the athletes to coaches and doctors, is aware of best practice. This campaign should signpost where people can find the most current, well-evidenced advice on what action to take in the event of head trauma.
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the recommendation and will task the working group developing concussion protocols to also create a comprehensive communications campaign to raise awareness of best practice among all involved in sport.
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Department for Culture, Media and Sport
20
Recommendation
Third Report - Concussion in sport
Accepted
We are concerned that there is history of the Government looking into issues of sporting safety and failing to follow through with practical interventions that would Concussion in sport 33 make a difference to the safety and health of those participating. The reports of the 2002 Working Group and by …
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We are concerned that there is history of the Government looking into issues of sporting safety and failing to follow through with practical interventions that would Concussion in sport 33 make a difference to the safety and health of those participating. The reports of the 2002 Working Group and by Baroness Grey-Thompson in 2017 both suggested ways to address the issue of concussion in sport and yet the Government has not progressed these. We urge the Government to grasp the nettle this time, move past the concerns about how regulation may change sports, and take real and effective action.
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the recommendation to take real and effective action on sporting safety and commits to providing updates on progress with its concussion in sport initiatives through its Government Sport Strategy annual report.
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Department for Culture, Media and Sport
21
Recommendation
Third Report - Concussion in sport
Accepted
It will never be possible to ensure that sport is one hundred percent safe. It should, however, be expected that participants are aware of the risks involved and that there is a precautionary approach to risk management. The Government cannot avoid taking a proactive role in ensuring that this occurs. …
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It will never be possible to ensure that sport is one hundred percent safe. It should, however, be expected that participants are aware of the risks involved and that there is a precautionary approach to risk management. The Government cannot avoid taking a proactive role in ensuring that this occurs. (Paragraph 83) 34 Concussion in sport
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the recommendations to ensure sport is as safe as possible and commits to providing updates on progress with its concussion in sport initiatives through its Government Sport Strategy annual report.
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Department for Culture, Media and Sport