Ryan Mason: Hull City and Chelsea medical staff praised by brain injury charity Headway for their swift response
HULL and Chelsea's medical staff have been praised by a brain injury charity for their "exemplary reaction" to the Ryan Mason incident.
The Tigers midfielder is in a stable condition after suffering a fractured skull following a clash of heads with Gary Cahill during the Blues' 2-0 win yesterday.
And Headway spoke highly of both clubs for the way they dealt with the shocking incident.
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Chief executive Peter McCabe said: "I was actually at the match and, while it was upsetting to witness the incident, it was encouraging to see the exemplary reaction of the medical teams.
"Headway has been critical of the way in which head injuries have been treated in many high-profile football incidents in recent years, but it is positive to see that lessons appear to have been learned.
“The thoughts of everyone at Headway are with Ryan at this moment, while we also offer our full support to his family.
“At Headway, we know how difficult a time this can be for families. Brain injuries are completely unpredictable and naturally there will be considerable concern and uncertainty as doctors treat a bleed to Ryan’s brain.”
Mason - who became Hull's record signing over the summer - underwent surgery at St Mary's Hospital in London after the game.
The club released a statement saying he was "stable" and tributes have flooded in for the popular star.
Hull expect the former Tottenham playmaker to be in hospital "for the next few days".
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Chelsea boss Antonio Conte joined the well-wishers and revealed that Cahill's half-time condition "wasn't really good".
But the England defender completed the match - scoring with 10 minutes to play.
Cahill was assessed by Chelsea's medical staff for some time.
Headway released a statement regarding the England defender.
It said: "In the absence of any clear and obvious signs of concussion, such as a loss of consciousness, unsteadiness, or disorientation, it is difficult for Headway to make an assessment from afar on whether a player has sustained a concussion.
"We would always encourage clubs at all levels to take a safety first ‘if in doubt, sit it out!’ approach to head injuries, and it is right for high-profile incidents to be questioned to help avoid ambiguity.
"However, given the serious nature of Ryan Mason’s injury, and Chelsea’s own history of concussion and serious head injuries, we have to assume that the club’s doctors would not have allowed Gary Cahill to return to the field if there was a suspicion of concussion following a detailed assessment during the extended period the game was stopped in order for attention to be given to Ryan Mason.
"It would be helpful in all high-profile concussion cases for the club concerned to clarify what procedures they followed in assessing the player, including seeking the views of the third and independent tunnel doctor, as per the agreed protocols."
Brain injuries have come under increasingly scrutiny in recent times with suffering a number of high-profile concussions.