UEFA's Football Doctor Education Programme (FDEP) – in which crucial medical information is being transmitted across Europe – has consolidated its success after the latest workshop in the Czech Republic.

Since the start of 2012, crucial know-how has been passed down through the UEFA member associations in a series of cascaded courses. The workshop in the Czech Republic, led by Dr Petr Cechal, the Czech national women's team doctor, and funded through UEFA's comprehensive HatTrick assistance programme on behalf of its national associations, involved eight national-team doctors and 17 doctors from clubs in the Czech First League. The aim of the workshop was fully achieved in a positive and workmanlike atmosphere.

Anaesthetists, orthopaedic surgeons, traumatologists and cardiologists joined forces at the course, which gave plenty of scope for practical sessions covering a wide variety of medical issues. There was considerable appreciation of the diligence being shown by UEFA and the Football Association of the Czech Republic (FAČR) in addressing the health of footballers and how to treat them in urgent cases.

The FDEP was launched in 2011 with the objective of disseminating advice and information concerning the work undertaken by the modern football doctor. Topics include emergency treatment of players, roles and responsibilities of the football medic, diagnosis and treatment of injuries, prevention and rehabilitation of injuries, and anti-doping. Content has been developed in conjunction with the UEFA Medical Committee and sports medicine experts.

Programme content is being filtered down through the member associations via the hosting of events at a national level. Consequently, national association medical representatives are being helped to transfer the knowledge shared in senior international football down to the medical staff and club doctors at all levels.

UEFA is lending medical emergency training kit and is supplying educational tools such as technical handbooks, as well as providing trained course delegates to offer invaluable advice and an extensive online platform with learning facilities.

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