TALKBACK katie barnes • assistant editor • health club management
everyone’s talking about . . .
gp training
Exercise and sport science highlights the vital importance of physical activity in almost every
aspect of health – and yet GPs have little understanding of this field. Should this be addressed?
A
s their very title suggests, tend not to prescribe exercise. Not Secondly, should GPs be given some

general practitioners (GPs) only that but the Quality of Outcomes kind of grounding in exercise and sport
have a broad knowledge Framework (QOF), which monitors science so they’re equipped to refer
of medicine and health. GP practices, awards 73 QOF points patients to exercise scientists – as they
Unfortunately, at present, this doesn’t for referring patients onto smoking do to cardiac specialists, for example?
encompass sport and exercise science cessation programmes, eight QOF If so, who should provide this?
– in spite of the world-class research points for obesity referral – and yet At present, GPs train for around
and clinical evidence demonstrating the zero QOF points for exercise referral. seven years, and exercise and sport
vital role that exercise and fi tness can While the gap between exercise scientists for up to four years, but
play in health and wellbeing. science and exercise professionals there’s little overlap between the two.
With a lack of in-depth education is another point for discussion (see It’s unrealistic to expect GPs to cover
into how fi tness can make a positive HCM July 09, p3), the fi rst question all of this ground, so just what areas of
impact on our health – especially in in this debate is: does the NHS even exercise and sport science would they
terms of prevention, a buzzword in recognise sport and exercise science most benefi t from knowledge of? And
government at present – as well as as a credible discipline? The absence what’s the ideal length of a course to
a lack of access to referral schemes of QOF points for exercise referral ensure it’s comprehensive enough, yet
(see news, p10), it’s no wonder GPs suggests there may some way to go. succinct? We ask the experts.
SHOULD GPS HAVE TRAINING IN EXERCISE AND SPORT SCIENCE? EMAIL US: HEALTHCLUB@LEISUREMEDIA.COM
john buckley professor mark batt
chair • exercise for health practitioners interest group, BASES president elect • faculty of exercise and sport medicine (FSEM)
“K
nowledge of sport and exercise
is something new to GPs and “I
t’s important to make the
distinction between sport science
they should be commended for starting and sport and exercise medicine: sport
to address the need for training in this science is a non-medical degree.
area: Bath University offers a diploma in The DH formally recognised sport and
sport and exercise medicine that more exercise medicine as one of the 52 medical
GPs are taking, and the Royal College of specialities in 2005, and the FSEM was
Physicians has now established a faculty formed in 2006. The discipline is becoming
focused on sport and exercise medicine. recognised professionally, but there’s still
Officially the NHS doesn’t recognise sport and exercise science, a lot of work to be done to get GPs up to speed on this [and the
even though it employs people from this field in areas such as importance of exercise]. I think adding QOF points to assessment
secondary prevention programmes. That’s why BASES is working and exercise referral would help. But it’s not fair just to dump this
to get the Health Professions Council (HPC) to register the [the problem of our sedentary nation] on GPs and the DH, as it’s
discipline as a profession. We hope this will help standardise the a social issue that sits with every government department.
currently woolly working conditions, wages and so on for exercise That said, GPs do need more training in sport and exercise
and sport professionals working in the healthcare industry. medicine. Although the undergraduate curriculum is incredibly
As part of the registration process, we’ve set up an interest congested, it’s also out of date in places. I’d like to see it cover
group for sport and exercise scientists working in healthcare. the power of physical activity in maintaining and improving
We’ve also created the new BASES Certified Exercise health, along with understanding injury mechanisms –
Practitioner qualification for those with a degree in sport particularly over-use injury mechanisms. The FSEM offers a four-
science and REPs Level 4 equivalent who want to work in year speciality training post-graduate curriculum, which has been
healthcare, while the new BASES Accreditation Scheme – the officially running for two years, but I’d also like to see other
next step up – will be required to attain HPC status.
”
post-graduate speciality training better reflect this discipline.
”
28 Read Health Club Management online august 2009 © cybertrek 2009
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76