Opinion
When Sarah’s mother was in labour, the hospital staff failed to pick up on what should have been worrying signals coming from the CTG monitor. After experiencing lack of oxygen at birth, Sarah* was diagnosed with mild athetoid cerebral palsy as a baby. By age five she had vision problems and required occasional use of a wheelchair. She could finger feed, although it was somewhat clumsy and her parents had to help her at mealtimes. Liquids also had to be thickened to make drinking easier. Her manual dexterity was poor and she was susceptible to chest infections. The hospital Trust denied liability for Sarah’s injury and so a protracted liability trial followed.
Dysphagia is an all-too common adversary of neuro-rehab patients, and the professionals who care for them. Some studies suggest the swallowing disorder is experienced in as many as 93 per cent of people admitted to brain injury rehab centres (Hansel et al, 2008). It will affect around one in two stroke survivors, according to the Stroke Association, and roughly at least a third of people with MS. Meanwhile, over 80 per cent of people with Parkinson’s may be affected (Suttrup et al, 2016).
If an individual suffers an injury on the road through the negligence of a driver, they will recover compensation.
This is because of the provisions within Section 143 of the Road Traffic Act 1988.
Even if there was no insurance attaching to the vehicle, the Motor Insurers’ Bureau would satisfy any unsatisfied Judgment. But there are numerous cases in which insurers in road traffic accident cases have tried a variety of methods to avoid liability including seeking a statutory declaration, asserting that the insurance policy is only relevant if the policyholder was driving or in the vehicle, and stating that the use of the vehicle was different to that which was insured.
Neuro-rehab professionals spend much of their time striving to meet the needs of patients and clients. But research suggests they – and their peers in other quarters of healthcare – are not so great at looking after their own health and wellbeing. A survey of doctors in the US found that the average junior doctor works seven shifts a month without drinking enough water and four shifts a month without eating a meal. Other studies have suggested that healthcare workers are at an increased risk of obesity - 35 per cent of those working in medical offices, clinics and hospitals in the States are obese.
When looking for a powerchair what are the primary things people should consider? There are lots of things to consider when looking for a powered wheelchair, here is a list of points to consider: Lifestyle (what is the user wanting the powerchair to do on an everyday basis), what range/distance will they need to travel in a day, size and dimensions of the chair, what is the weight of the chair and what is the maximum user weight and combined weight (for lifts, house and car).
It was encouraging to see the blue badge scheme for disabled parkers being extended last week. For the first time, people with hidden disabilities such as dementia and anxiety disorders, can qualify for the parking permit scheme, the government has confirmed. This positive news was tempered by a separate report which suggests councils are not prepared for the increase in blue badge holders.
Acquired brain injury (ABI) is the most common cause of injury in childhood and affects 18 in every 100,000 children in England (NHS England, 2013). This includes both traumatic brain injury (e.g. road traffic accident) and non-traumatic brain injury (e.g. tumour, stroke, infection). As the brain continues to develop until the late 20s, the impact of an ABI is considered to be a developing condition, rather than confined to the single physical injury.
“I had one dreadful experience when I came back into Heathrow Terminal 4 and my wheelchair was not brought up to the door,” recalls Anne Luttman-Johnson. “I refused to get off the plane until I knew that my wheelchair had arrived, and was in one piece. “They brought me a wheelchair that I couldn't push myself in. It had little wheels and I had to be pushed through the airport. It was the most undignified, humiliating experience. I hated it.” Anne has used a wheelchair for more than 30 years, having broken her back at age 21.
NRT: What does your job involve? CP: Our team deals exclusively with claims on behalf of people who are injured somewhere other than in their home country. We predominantly represent English people who are injured on holiday or working abroad, but sometimes we represent claimants from other countries injured here in England and Wales. We deal with cross-border litigation, where we often have to consider whether a different country’s laws might apply or govern the claim. Sometimes there’s a choice as to where you bring the claim, and there are often arguments about which law will determine how much compensation a claimant can expect to receive.
A recent report published by Neurological Alliance member charity Sue Ryder revealed that more than 15,000 people in England with complex neurological conditions such as head injury, motor neurone disease, MS, Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease, are living in old people’s nursing homes.This is shocking news and yet another case of the UK’s ‘postcode lottery’ in which access to health services and medical treatments is determined by the area of the country in which individuals live. Is it not ethically wrong to hide an articulate young person with motor neurone disease trapped in a dying body or a middle-aged man with a brain injury acquired in a road traffic accident in a setting inappropriate to their age and without a care plan or rehabilitation prescription?
