Petition NHS services for people who do sport or exercise

IN BRIEF: Doing regular exercise or sport keeps people healthy and prevents serious & costly illnesses. However participation can sometimes lead to injury. Many people with sports related injuries are poorly served by current NHS services.

We petition the government to discuss increasing the provision of Sport & Exercise Medicine services in the NHS.

IN DETAIL: The 2012 Olympic Games promised to deliver a ‘Health Legacy’ and encourage UK citizens to engage in more healthy exercise or sport. A direct result of the Olympic bid was the creation in 2005 of a new medical speciality called ‘Sport & Exercise Medicine (SEM)’ for the NHS. Currently these services are only available in very few NHS areas.

Most people who do regular brisk walking, jogging, running or competitive sport will get an injury or illness at some point. We believe that everyone in the UK should have access to an SEM service via their GP or Emergency Department.