{"id":145403,"date":"2025-11-21T08:00:26","date_gmt":"2025-11-21T08:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.politics.co.uk\/?p=145403"},"modified":"2026-01-19T06:56:17","modified_gmt":"2026-01-19T06:56:17","slug":"andy-mcdonald-mp-the-system-is-failing-spinal-cord-injury-patients-we-need-a-national-strategy-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.politics.co.uk\/mp-comment\/2025\/11\/21\/andy-mcdonald-mp-the-system-is-failing-spinal-cord-injury-patients-we-need-a-national-strategy-now\/","title":{"rendered":"Andy McDonald MP: \u2018The system is failing spinal cord injury patients \u2013 we need a national strategy now\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

The UK has a proud legacy in spinal cord injury (SCI) care. It was here, at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, that professor Sir Ludwig Guttmann pioneered a model of rehabilitation that placed the patient at the centre of care \u2013 a legacy that helped launch the Paralympic movement and shaped global standards. But today, that legacy is under threat.<\/p>\n

As chair of the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on Spinal Cord Injury, I\u2019ve heard from clinicians, researchers, charities, and \u2013 most importantly \u2013 people living with SCI. Their message is clear: the system is failing them.\u00a0What should be a pathway of recovery has become a maze of delay, fragmentation, and inequality.<\/p>\n

This is not just a healthcare issue. It is a question of dignity, equality, and national leadership.<\/p>\n

Every two hours, someone in the UK sustains a spinal cord injury. Whether through trauma or illness, they are thrust into a system that lacks the infrastructure to support them. Over 105,000 people are living with SCI; that\u2019s 4,700 new injuries annually. With a rapidly ageing population and more non-traumatic causes, demand is increasing while capacity has flatlined. Rehabilitation beds are scarce. Discharge planning is inconsistent. Housing is often inaccessible. Psychological support is patchy at best. And there is still no national registry to track outcomes or measure progress.<\/p>\n

One Spinal Injuries Association member put it starkly:\u00a0\u201cSpecialist spinal services are required for rehabilitation and are a non-negotiable part of recovery. We are talking about managing a condition that requires lifelong support from a health service, which if it fails can have devastating consequences.\u201d<\/p>\n

Our inquiry found that even basic needs are routinely unmet. Danny Byrne, for example, was left on a hard trolley in A&E for over eleven hours and developed a Grade 4 pressure ulcer. He spent five months on bedrest due to unsuitable care. Another patient, Dave Eastham, described his rehabilitation as \u201clike being reborn again, unable to do the simplest of tasks.\u201d These are not tragic anomalies; they are symptoms of systemic neglect.<\/p>\n

The APPG\u2019s report calls for a national spinal cord injury strategy \u2013 a framework to replace the current patchwork with coordinated, person-centred care. Our recommendations span five key areas: rehabilitation, workforce, community care, data, and research. The strategy is phased:<\/p>\n