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Providing medical services for combat sports

Combat sports rely on both ‘Medical Practitioners’ and ‘Attending Medical Practitioners’. Both have important roles in promoting the health and safety of combatants.

Medical Practitioner means a qualified person registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) as a medical practitioner. For the purpose of conducting an annual medical check for instance, this will generally be a doctor / general practitioner (GP). 

Attending Medical Practitioner means a qualified and registered medical practitioner who has been ‘accredited’ by the Combat Sports Authority of NSW to be present, in the capacity of a medical practitioner, at a combat sports contest or the weigh-in for the contest.

Medical Practitioners

Attending Medical Practitioners at combat sport contests

In NSW, it is a requirement that a registered medical practitioner (“ringside doctor”) is in attendance at every combat sport contest covered by the legislation. Only medical practitioners that have been accredited as an Attending Medical Practitioner (AMP) by the Authority are eligible to exercise the functions of an AMP at contests.

It is the responsibility of the Promoter to engage an AMP for the contest and to ensure that they are in attendance before, during and after the contest to fulfil their obligations under the Act. 

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