MORE than 300 doctors have volunteered to work at the Commonwealth Games in Scotland this summer, providing swift treatment to the athletes for free.
A total of 321 clinicians will join the army of volunteers at the venues for the event next month.
It is understood the doctors are using holiday time or taking unpaid leave from the health service in order to help out.
Around half come from within Scotland with others travelling from other parts of the UK.
One of the UKs' biggest medical defence unions, which insures doctors against claims, has published reassurance that most clinicians offering their services will be covered as long as they have paid their subscriptions.
The medics come from a range of specialist fields, including emergency medicine, general practice and radiology (imaging).
Dr John MacLean, chief medical officer for Glasgow 2014, said: "We have been delighted with the great response from medical practitioners from Scotland and the UK to volunteer to deliver medical services at games time.
"The commitment and enthusiasm coupled with their skills and experience has been outstanding and we hope that everyone involved will have a fantastic and memorable experience."
Dr Judy Ross, a GP from Portlethen near Aberdeen, is among the GPs volunteering and will be providing medical advice to gymnasts at the Hydro. She practices sport and exercise medicine alongside her GP work and was among the medical volunteers at the London Olympics in 2012.
She said: "With the Olympics it was wonderful to be part of London, but to be part of the home games is different. After all the years of learning and experience, to give something back to my home games will have something very special about it."
Dr Ross said in London 2012 she saw competitors with knee and back injuries, as well as the range of common illnesses more typical of routine GP surgeries.
She said: "Our role is to see if people are fit to get back (into the competition) because there is always a great pressure to get great athletes back into performance, not only from the coach but from the athlete themselves. Everyone wants to get them back, but if it is going to be dangerous or they need further investigation, that's our role."
While she might not see the finals of live events if she is busy, Dr Ross said watching training sessions was a possibility.
She will be based in a medical room away from the immediate action, but there will also be so-called "field of play" doctors who are at the ring side ready to offer assistance.
Dr Rhona Siegmeth, medico-legal adviser at the Medical Defence Union - the UK's largest indemnifier of doctors, said: "We do not want doctors who are volunteering at the games to worry about whether or not they will be indemnified if they are asked to treat patients while volunteering at the games."
The Scottish Ambulance Service are providing core medical staff for Glasgow 2014 including 240 personnel, 36 ambulances and motorbikes and bicycles.
A spokesman said: "Depending on their individual clinical needs, patients will be transferred quickly to hospital by ambulance, or treated at the medical centres in place at the venues. Normal ambulance cover outwith the venues will continue to be provided by local ambulance crews."
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