As a result of feedback from medical professionals and a doctors’ review meeting on 10th April, Safe MMA has addressed the following areas:
· Safe MMA Medical Examinations
· Doctor Database
· Counselling for Blood Tests
· Qualifications for Medical Professionals at Events
· Safe MMA Doctor’s Training Day
· Suspensions
· Fighter Medical Records
· Data Protection
· Hepatitis B Vaccinations
· Tournaments
· IV & Water Doping
SAFE MMA MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS
Revisions have been made to the GP Annual Medical examination and to the Pre/Post-Fight Medical examination. Changes are based on feedback from cageside doctors in order to fine tune the examinations to the direct needs of MMA fighters and to improve efficiency.
Accompanying guidelines for doctors are being produced.
REGIONAL DOCTOR DATABASE
GP availability for private sports medicals varies across the UK and waiting times for appointments also vary. To address this Safe MMA will continue its work to build a database of doctors by location, who can provide fighter medicals.
COUNSELLING FOR BLOOD TESTS
More comprehensive counselling prior to blood tests has been requested: Dr. Maeve Rogers has produced Blood Borne Virus information sheets to accompany blood packs sent to fighters, and also counselling questionnaires for use by doctors.
QUALIFICATIONS FOR MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS AT EVENTS
The medical team on site at Safe MMA events MUST include:
· A qualified doctor for diagnosis and suspensions.
Safe MMA cannot support promotions that do not hire a qualified doctor to be present at events.
· AT LEAST one paramedic fully equipped to provide cageside/post-fight care
Additionally;
· There must either be a fast response time from the local ambulance service or an ambulance on site.
· Medical staff carrying out examinations and handling fighter medical information will need to be data protection (ICO) registered.
SAFE MMA DOCTOR’S TRAINING DAY
Safe MMA is to introduce voluntary training days for cageside doctors to include treatment of MMA related injuries, suspensions and topics such as, ‘When to Stop a Fight’.
MEDICAL SUSPENSIONS
Automatic Suspensions with NO APPEALS:
· 1st Concussion : 30 days
· 2nd Concussion in a season: 90 days
· 3rd Concussion in a season: Suspended until cleared neurologically by a doctor
· TKO stoppage (blows to head): 30 days
· All head injuries: 30 days
NB: Unconsciousness is no measure of concussion. The fighter must be examined by a doctor
Other Suspensions
All other suspensions must be stipulated by the doctor who has diagnosed the fighter’s injuries in the post-fight examination. This is because individuals can vary in their time needed for recovery from the same injury, and also an injury can vary in its severity (e.g. lacerations, ligament damage, dislocations). The fighter will be advised to be examined by a doctor before returning to full contact. These suspensions may be extended on review if the injury has not healed as expected and within the expected time-frame.
FIGHTER MEDICAL RECORDS
Safe MMA is to produce fighter passports containing the fighter’s medical reports, fight records and suspensions. Competitors are to carry their passports to all of their fight medicals.
This will enable the examining doctor to refer to the fighters’ medical history to enable a better assessment.
DATA PROTECTION
Questions have been asked by medical practitioners regarding Safe MMA’s data protection status.
The Centre for Health and Human Performance, which houses Safe MMA, is not only data protection registered but CQC Certified for the way in which its medical records are processed and stored. CHHP has also developed proprietary militarily grade encryption as security for all clinical data with two stage authentication for access.
All medical professionals carrying out fighter examinations at Safe MMA events must be ICO registered.
Additionally, a disclaimer is now to be included in the pre/post-fight medical forms for the fighter to sign and give permission for their medical information to be shared with Safe MMA.
HEPATITIS B VACCINATIONS
Safe MMA recommends that all competitors are vaccinated against Hepatitis B.
TOURNAMENTS
Safe MMA takes no stance on tournaments per se. However if a competitor is concussed or injured in an early fight, then they can not compete in the following fights and suspensions will apply.
IV & WATER DOPING
Safe MMA does not condone the use of IV or water doping practices which are dangerous and bad practice. If a fighter was to suffer complications as a result of IV, the doctor would be held as personally liable and would not be supported by Safe MMA