Campaign launched to improve NHS spinal injury careRSS Feed

16 November 2009

A stockbroker is launching a campaign to improve the treatment of spinal injuries in the UK after his son suffered a snowboarding accident.

Andy Stewart spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on private surgery for his son, Paul, who suffered the spinal injury in an avalanche almost a year ago, the Times reported.

Paul told the newspaper that he fell more than 200ft over a cliff while taking a shortcut to the slopes.

"When I opened my eyes I couldn't move my toes or feel my legs," he said.

Paul was moved, after an initial operation, to the National Spinal Injuries Centre (NSIC), part of Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS Trust, according to the newspaper.

Earlier in the year the NSIC became the first NHS unit in the UK and one of only five in Europe to receive an international accreditation for excellence in the care of adults and children with spinal cord injury. But Andy felt the treatments offered were not good enough.

His son was transferred to the privately-run Royal Buckinghamshire hospital and also spent two months in America receiving groundbreaking treatment and physiotherapy at two Miami hospitals.

Speaking to the newspaper, Mr Stewart said he wants these groundbreaking remedies to be made available to all spinal injury patients in Britain.

"I cannot change the world or the NHS but I can focus people on learning from the best spinal research around the world," he said.

News form Serious Law, specialist spinal injury lawyers. ADNFCR-2547-ID-19461018-ADNFCR