Olympic site polyclinic “will be most tangible health legacy” of games, says medical chief

Athletes competing at the Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer will be treated at a state of the art health facility unveiled at the athletes’ village in Stratford, east London, on 18 June.

The polyclinic will provide for the care needs of 16 000 Olympic athletes and team officials and 6200 Paralympic athletes and team officials during their stays. It is expected that every day up to 500 people, including up to 200 athletes, will use the clinic, which houses some of the most sophisticated diagnostic equipment available.

Richard Budgett, chief medical officer for the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), said that the committee had promised the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that the games would have no negative effect on the provision of healthcare to the general population. He also said that as part of the Olympic legacy sport and exercise medicine, which was recognised as an official NHS specialty the day before the IOC evaluated …