February 2018
The first set of state-wide guidelines for managing concussion in sport has been launched today.
Minister for Sport Stuart Ayres said the NSW Government has provided a $78,350 grant to Sports Medicine Australia to develop the guidelines and run awareness workshops across NSW.
“There is nothing tough about playing with a concussion. I encourage players, sports officials and parents to remember the three “R’s” – recognise the symptoms, remove from play and refer to a medical professional,” Mr Ayres said.
“It is not good enough that only 20% of concussions are diagnosed in local sport and I hope these new guidelines will help trigger a sector-wide culture shift.
“We are proud to have partnered with Sports Medicine Australia to develop a recommended code of practice to assist sporting codes, parents, players and trainers in NSW in recognising the early signs of a head injury.
“We also need to protect junior athletes. We know that children and adolescents can have increased susceptibility to concussion and can take longer to recover. They may also be at risk of severe consequences such as second impact syndrome,” Mr Ayres said.
SMA Board Chairman Dr Andrew Jowett said the protocols recommend appointing a designated person to implement the guidelines.
“The protocols cover all major concussion concerns, including understanding and recognising what concussion is, managing a suspected concussion and returning to sport safely,” Dr Jowett said.
A series of more than 30 community workshops start next week and will be run by Dr Andrew Gardner, Clinical Neuropsychologist at the University of Newcastle.
More information can be found at: sport.nsw.gov.au/concussion