Based at 170 Tottenham Court Road, the Institute is part of the National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine, and aims to become a world leader for clinical and academic work in sport, exercise medicine and sports injury rehabilitation.

The ISEH has links already in place with sporting organisations such as the European Golf Tour, Rugby Football Union (RFU), Football Association (FA) and National Football League (NFL), with the aim of developing strong relationships with a host of other international sporting bodies.

Facilities at the ISEH include a suite of consulting facilities, ultrasound, CT and MRI scanning equipment, an outpatient area and research and education facilities.

Dr Mike Loosemoore, a Lead Sports Physician at the English Institute of Sport, who will be based at the new facility said: "It is great for our Olympic and Paralympic athletes to have access to such a fantastic facility that is able to provide them with a one-stop-shop service.

"It means they will be able to come to the clinic and receive a consultation and high-quality scan in the same place and leave that day with an agreed plan to manage their recovery and return to training."

Another key objective of the ISEH is to increase exercise in the community and promote the use of exercise in treatment plans for NHS patients.

Last year, the Young Foundation published a report which concluded that young people in the UK were becoming increasingly sedentary and that low levels of exercise and physical activity is leading to an increase in health problems such as heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

Recent figures released by the Government revealed that obesity will cost the NHS £6.4 billion ($9.7 billion/€7.5 billion) per year by 2015.


Director of the ISEH, Professor Fares Haddad said: "Regardless of whether you are a cancer patient, a respiratory patient, a cardiac patient or a diabetic patient, if we can introduce exercise into your treatment programme, you will benefit.

"People talk a great deal about obesity as a great problem affecting society but it's actually inactivity that is the biggest threat to our well-being."

Coe, chairman of the British Olympic Association (BOA) and former head of London 2012, highlighted the important role that sport and physical activity has on the treatment and prevention of health problems.

"This institute is a great example of the kind of thing we had in mind when we spoke about creating a lasting legacy from the London 2012 Games," he said.

"Not only will it deliver excellence in injury prevention and management for elite athletes, it will offer the same level of care to amateur sportsmen and women who were inspired by what they saw last summer.

"This fabulous facility will also have a role in introducing exercise into the treatment regimes of NHS patients, spreading the word about the powerful impact sport and exercise can have on your quality of life."

The ISEH is a partnership between University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH), Hospital Corporation of America Hospitals (HCA), University College London (UCL), the English Institute of Sport and the British Olympic Association.