Premier League to review medical protocols

The Premier League will conduct a review into their medical procedures in the wake of Fabrice Muamba’s cardiac arrest.

Bolton midfielder Muamba collapsed during his side’s FA Cup quarter-final with Spurs at White Hart Lane on Saturday, and the 23-year-old received treatment from medical staff on the pitch before being transferred to The London Chest Hospital.

The league’s present medical protocols stem from the serious head injury suffered by Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech, who fractured his skull in an October 2006 match with Reading at Madejski Stadium.

Then Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho hit out at the procedures in place, claiming it took too long for Cech to be transported to hospital.

Mourinho’s complaint caused the Premier League and FA to review the situation and led to the introduction of a dedicated ambulance for players at all venues and club doctors to be in attendance at every match.

The Premier League’s chief executive Richard Scudamore praised the medical staff on hand at White Hart Lane on Saturday, and revealed the incident would prompt another exhaustive review of the measures in place.

“What we will certainly be doing is looking at every aspect of what happened,” Scudamore said.

“If there are ways and means of improving, if there are ways and means of making it better in the future – just like we did in 2006/07 following the Petr Cech incident – we will do everything we can to make sure we reduce to the point of elimination.”

“There are no guarantees but we will do whatever we can to improve.”

Scudamore said the last few days had been a traumatic period, but was confident Muamba had been given the best possible chance of survival by the attention he received.

“It’s been a difficult three days for everybody involved in the game, particularly those closest to Fabrice,” he said.

“Let’s hope, God willing, that the progress he’s making continues to be made and that he makes as decent a recovery as he can.”

“In some ways, his life, if it is saved – and let’s hope it has been saved – is as a result of the things a lot of us put in place after what happened with Petr Cech.”

“If you saw what happened on Saturday, the immediate attention, everybody comes out of this with huge credit, the referee, the match officials, the way the medics were there.”