Dr. Loosemore takes care of the nation’s athletes at the Commonwealth Games
The nation’s elite athletes are in expert hands as they prepare to challenge for Commonwealth Games honours this week, with Dr Mike Loosemore.
Mike is a consultant at UCLH and an English Institute of Sport doctor at the ISEH, a collaboration between UCLH (University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust), UCL, British Olympic Association, English Institute of Sport and private hospital group HCA. He will lead a team of six doctors for the duration of the Glasgow Games, which will see athletes compete for medals in 17 sports across the event’s three site cluster.
Mike and his team have been working at the 6,500-bed athletes’ village since mid-July, setting up a general medical service on-site to provide support to the England team for a variety of injuries and ailments. As well as some general supplies of antibiotics and medicine, and the use of an ultra-sound machine, it’s Mike’s responsibility to ensure that his team keeps athletes on top of safety and anti-doping regulations.
Mike and his fellow medics will provide a round-the-clock service, making sure a doctor is always on hand for the duration of the events.
Dr Loosemore said: “It’s a real challenge to be working with our top athletes at the athletes’ village, but one that the team and I are relishing. There’s a lot to do in a very short space of time, but it’s a privilege to once again be supporting our elite athletes as they prepare to take on the best from across the Commonwealth.”
Despite the many challenges of such a medical and logistical undertaking, Mike is confident that his team will deliver, having been Chief Medical Officer for the England team at the New Delhi Commonwealth Games in 2010.
He has been involved in sports medicine since 1996, and in his role with the English Institute of Sport is currently doctor to the British Boxing, and has previously been CMO for GB Fencing, England Athletics and GB Bobsleigh teams. That means he’s perfectly placed not just for the rigours of organising and running medical facilities in the field, but also in dealing with the expectations of elite athletes determined to stay at the top of their game.
Mike said: “Athletes are special people – they’re great at complying with exercises because they want to get back to full fitness as quickly as possible, the difficulty in treating elite athletes is if you tell them to repeat an exercise ten times they’ll probably do it 20 times. Trying to stop them doing too much is often the challenge, but a very welcome one.”
Read the article on UCLH
UCLH, London medic taking care of nation’s athletes [23 July 2014]