For medical practitioners
To be registered as a combatant with the Combat Sports Authority a combatant must supply certain documents provided by a medical practitioner. The two key documents are:
- Certificate of Fitness
- Serological Certificate
About the Certificate of Fitness
The purpose of a medical examination of persons wishing to register or maintain their registration as a combatant under the Combat Sports Act 2013 is to minimise the risks of participation in combat sports. It is a condition of each combatant’s registration that they provide a Certificate of Fitness to the Combat Sports Authority each year.
It is acknowledged that such examination will not prevent injuries arising during a contest from strikes to the body. The purpose of the examination is to detect those persons who are particularly at risk due to pre-existing disease or anatomical abnormalities.
The medical practitioner should undertake any medical examinations and tests they believe are necessary to give them confidence to issue the Certificate of Fitness. Combatants must be in good health.
The Combat Sports Authority does not require details of the examination undertaken or medical test results obtained and the confidentiality of this information should be maintained between the medical practitioner and combatant.
In addition to these annual examinations, the Combat Sports Act 2013 requires that combatants be examined by a medical practitioner before every contest, after every contest and at any time as directed by the Combat Sports Authority. These examinations are for the health and safety of combatants and any resulting medical suspensions are shown on the record cards contained within the combatant’s Medical Record Book.
About the Serological Clearance
All combatants must supply a current Serological Certificate on the approved form to the Combat Sports Authority before they may be registered.
- Combatants 18 years and over must supply a current serological certificate every six months in order to be eligible to compete.
- Combatants under 18 years must supply a current serological certificate every twelve months in order to be eligible to compete.
A current SEROLOGICAL CLEARANCE is a certificate by registered medical practitioner or a person who provides a pathology service that:
- the medical practitioner or person is of the opinion that a specified person is capable of transmitting any medical condition or disease specified by the regulations being,
- HIV,
- Hepatitis B and
- Hepatitis C.
- the opinion is based on the results of blood tests or other tests carried out on a date specified in the certificate.
In order to complete the Serology Certificate the medical practitioner must in the first instance order the following screening tests to be conducted:
- HIV combined antigen- antibody (HIV Ag/Ab),
- Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), and
- Hepatitis C antibody (HCV Ab).
The Combat Sports Authority does not require the results of the pathology test, only the completed serological clearance.
It is recommended that a combatant keeps a record of their results as this may be required by interstate or international authorities.
Role of the medical practitioner at a contest
In NSW, it is a requirement that a medical practitioner is in attendance at every combat sport contest covered by the legislation.
It is the responsibility of the Promoter to ensure that a medical practitioner is in attendance before, during and after the contest for the purposes of exercising the functions of an attending medical practitioner.
It is the responsibility of the Promoter of a contest to engage a registered medical practitioner to be in attendance.
The Act sets out the functions required of the medical practitioner and this fact sheet summarises the key activities and provides useful background information for the medical practitioner.