Putting Our Heads Together to Tackle Brain Injuries in Sport

Hull City’s footballer, Ryan Mason clash of heads with Chelsea’s Gary Cahill is another reminder of the serious implications of head injuries. Mason was immediately removed from the pitch and rushed to hospital to undergo emergency surgery.

From 2012 sporting authorities introduced new protocols to ensure the safety of their player’s brain health: “if concussion is suspected, the player must immediately and permanently be removed from the field of play.”

However, concussed players are still slipping through the net.

In December 2016, Northampton rugby player George North was passed as fit to return back to the field, despite footage showing him lying motionless on the pitch. Similar incidents have also occurred in football.

Headway, the Brain Injury Charity

The brain injury charity, Headway, is leading a campaign “if in doubt, sit it out,” to raise awareness of the risks of concussion. This campaign has grown in strength, encouraging a consistent approach for sporting professionals, amateurs and schoolchildren to treat all brain injuries seriously.

In 2011, 14 year old schoolboy Ben Robinson suffered three blows to the head during a school rugby match. After each impact he returned to play. He then collapsed and died in hospital because of the concussion. Had he been removed from the pitch, he may have survived.

The response by Hull City’s medics shows a encouraging message that sporting bodies are improving their response to suspected brain injuries. Peter McCabe from Headway referred to the conduct of the medics at Stamford Bridge as “exemplary” which is good news.

I believe we should encourage everyone to participate in sports and elite sporting professionals should show an example to the millions of people partaking in sports to, “sit it out” if there is any doubt of a brain injury.

Alice Stuart-Miller is a trainee solicitor in the highly accredited personal injury and medical negligence team dealing in catastrophic injury claims which include complex brain injury cases as well as spinal cord injuries.

For more information or to discuss a personal injury claim, please do not hesitate to contact us directly.