What must I do if a player has a suspected serious head, neck or spine injury?

Q: What must I do if a player has a suspected serious head, neck or spine injury?

The BokSmart Serious Injury Protocol puts a Responsible Person in charge. In order of seniority that is: sports physician, medical doctor, emergency care personnel, physiotherapist, biokineticist, rugby medic, first aider, coach, referee, manager. The club or school must have one at the field. The Responsible Person (or the EMS provider, if present) must: give appropriate on-site care, or have a suitably qualified person do so; immediately call the BokSmart Spineline, 0800 678 678, which is linked to ER24; make sure an ambulance or other emergency response is on its way (it need not be ER24 if another service is closer); oversee transport to the nearest suitable hospital, chosen from the emergency action plan and the player's medical aid status; record the injury details and the details of witnesses and anyone involved; notify the next of kin (in a fatality, the police do this); send the Serious Injury Report to the SICM within 48 hours. On the field, the highest qualified medical person present takes charge of managing and evacuating the player.

Question

Accepted Answer

The BokSmart Serious Injury Protocol puts a Responsible Person in charge. In order of seniority that is: sports physician, medical doctor, emergency care personnel, physiotherapist, biokineticist, rugby medic, first aider, coach, referee, manager. The club or school must have one at the field.

The Responsible Person (or the EMS provider, if present) must:

give appropriate on-site care, or have a suitably qualified person do so;
immediately call the BokSmart Spineline, 0800 678 678, which is linked to ER24;
make sure an ambulance or other emergency response is on its way (it need not be ER24 if another service is closer);
oversee transport to the nearest suitable hospital, chosen from the emergency action plan and the player's medical aid status;
record the injury details and the details of witnesses and anyone involved;
notify the next of kin (in a fatality, the police do this);
send the Serious Injury Report to the SICM within 48 hours.

On the field, the highest qualified medical person present takes charge of managing and evacuating the player.