The specific nature of the relationship that exists between employed or contracted practitioners, an NGB and an athlete does have the potential to present challenges around competing priorities.

A professional code has been produced by Dr Rod Jaques, Director of Medical Services (EIS), for all employed and contracted medicine and science practitioner members of staff of the English Institute of Sport (EIS), Sport Wales Institute (SWI), Sport Northern Ireland Sports Institute (SINI) and the Sport Scotland Institute of Sport (SIS), collectively referred to as the Home Country Sports Institutes (HCSI). It aims to provide clear guidance on the standards of professional conduct that are expected of all practitioners and sets out obligations and guidelines related to how they are expected to go about their work with athletes, National Governing Bodies (NGBs) and colleagues.

It is not a substitute for any professional code that already exists in those disciplines but serves to provide guidance on how staff should conduct themselves where they have no professional code and to complement professional codes where they do exist. It should also complement existing Codes of Conduct in place within the HCSI.

This code does not seek to cover areas of research, nor the full scope of WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) compliance as this is covered under separate codes, nor does it form part of any employment contract with an employer or contract with a hirer. It is strongly recommended that this HCSI professional code be shared with NGBs of sport with whom employed and contracted practitioners work so that professional responsibilities are understood by both parties at the start of service agreements.

A copy of the HCSI Professional Code can be downloaded by clicking here.

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