Laya Healthcare rolls out Phane 2 of its free ‘Head On Concussion Management Programme’

From Laya Healthcare

To mark the start of the 2016-2017 rugby season, laya healthcare has announced Phase 2 of its HEAD ON Concussion Management Programme and is calling on rugby clubs in Leinster to sign up for a free screening available to all amateur players.

The HEAD ON Concussion Management Programme, launched by Leinster Rugby’s Rob Kearney earlier this year, is the largest concussion screening to be rolled out in Ireland. HEAD ON is offering amateur rugby players in the Leinster region 1,350 free concussion screenings. Laya healthcare is investing €100,000 in the initiative, as part of its Health & Wellness Partnership with Leinster Rugby.

Spaces for the free screenings are filling up fast so any player, aged 12 and above, can register for their place online at www.layahealthcare.ie/headon or by emailing headonconcussion@layahealthcare.ie. The dates for the next phase of screenings are Saturday 24^th and Sunday 25^th September and Saturday 1^st and Sunday 2^nd October 2016. All four days’ screenings will take place in the Red Cow Moran Hotel, Naas Road, Dublin 22.

The HEAD ON screening is a non-invasive cognitive and memory test to give a baseline reading. If a player suffers a suspected concussion, the screening is repeated and the results compared with the original baseline screening. If the scores are lower, this indicates that the player may have suffered a concussion and is referred for a neurological examination. This will ensure the correct and appropriate back to play, and school, protocols are recommended and followed.

The testing carried out as part of the HEAD ON Concussion Programme is clinically led and has been widely used and endorsed by sporting organisations from around the world including the IRFU and NFL. To date more than eight million people worldwide have already been screened using the technology behind laya healthcare’s concussion management programme.

D.O. O’Connor, Deputy Managing Director of laya healthcare said: “We delighted to bring the HEAD ON Concussion Management Programme to the next stage. We are committed to screening as many players as possible through our schedule of screening in September and October. This screening is only part of our overall objective: we want to ensure that players, parents and coaches are fully aware of the signs and symptoms of a suspected concussion and know what to do in the event that they suffer a knock while playing.

“At laya healthcare we believe the benefits of playing sports far outweigh the risks. We are pursuing a proactive approach to managing and reducing the risk of sports-related concussion, especially among amateur and youth players.”

Registration for the HEAD ON Concussion Management Programme is simple and free of charge for rugby clubs in Leinster. For more information simply go to www.layahealthcaer.ie/headon or email headonconcussion@layahealthcare.ie. Laya healthcare is also offering a 20 per cent discount on the cost of screenings for all Irish rugby clubs outside Leinster.