Pete, I share your frustration but the point has already been made about some things not being covered by the GP contract with the NHS. Most people do not realise that when the NHS was set up, hospital doctors became NHS employees but GPs did not. They are independant contractors with the NHS so the problem lies with the nature of the contract between the NHS and GPs. And, as we all know, until very recently, the average medics view of a sporting injury was that it was a self inflicted injury and it would receive very little sympathy compared to someone who presented with diabetes because they ate too much crap food or lung disease coz they smoked like a bleedin' chimbly. THing is, GP's get paid for sorting out those things, but the sports med side gets such a raw deal. There is hope on the horizon with the Faculty for Sports and Exercise Medicine now being official and a few (VERY few) NHS funded training posts in Sprts Medicine now appearing.

I think you should write to the BMA and your MP, if only to get the issue raised a little.