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British Cycling acknowledge ‘serious failings’ in medical record keeping

Chairman reveals audit of practice and review of medicines management policy ordered

British Cycling have acknowledged “serious failings” in their medical record keeping, which caused such derision from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Select Committee hearing into doping in sport.

UK Anti-Doping CEO Nicole Sapstead revealed the lack of documentary evidence to support claims made by Dr Richard Freeman, relating to the mystery medical package delivered to him at the 2011 Criterium du Dauphine.

And Sapstead also told MPs Dr Freeman’s failure to update medical records as per Team Sky and British Cycling policy had been referred to the General Medical Council (GMC) too.

– UKAD CEO reveals Team Sky doctor’s poor record keeping and ‘excessive’ corticosteroid orders –

Though Dr Freeman, Sir Dave Brailsford and Sir Bradley Wiggins – the rider who was treated at the Dauphine – have all stated the package contained the decongestant fluimucil, British Cycling have been unable to obtain documentary evidence.

And a British Cycling statement admitted major changes had to be – and in some instances, already have been – implemented.

Dr Richard Freeman’s lack of medical record keeping was heavily criticised by UKAD and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Select Comittee (pic – Simon Wilkinson/SWpix.com)

“We acknowledge serious failings in our record keeping at the time,” the statement read. “Our medicines management processes have been reviewed several times since 2011 and, through working with UKAD in recent months, we have identified further areas for improvement on this and in the provision of our wider medical services.”

British Cycling chair Jonathan Browning explained an audit of their medical services provided to the Great Britain Cycling Team has been ordered, with the Care Quality Commission reviewing the governing body’s practices.

And the second provision due will be a ‘further review of the Great Britain Cycling Team’s medicines management policy’.

Browning added: “At British Cycling, we are wholly committed to clean sport and I want to assure athletes, fans and all other stakeholders that this commitment is unwavering.

“For anyone lucky enough to be working in any sport, it is not enough to just be clean, we must also be able to demonstrate that we are clean with transparent and accountable processes, including good record-keeping and solid policies on all areas of medical support.

“This is a fundamental responsibility, rooted in our duty to the athletes in our care as well as in our duty to the sport, and one which we take extremely seriously.”

Sapstead was the latest person to appear before the Select Committee, with Simon Cope – the man who delivered the package – grilled earlier in the afternoon, while Nicole Cooke, Sir Dave Brailsford, Shane Sutton and British Cycling president Bob Howden have all previously given testimony too.

British Cycling have acknowledged “serious failings” in their medical record keeping (pic: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)

Damian Collins MP, who has been chairing the Select Committee, said the evidence given to the inquiry raised serious questions.

“I think it is a pretty damning indictment of the way things have been run at British Cycling and Team Sky,” he told BBC Sport.

“It counters the ideas of how marginal gains work, and the attention to detail, if something as fundamental as the drugs being prescribed to one of our greatest ever athletes and cyclists are not being properly recorded.”

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