A Government minister has been shown the importance of more and better provision being made for people living with spinal cord injury through a visit to the Spinal Injuries Association.
Tom Pursglove MP, Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, visited the SIA to better understand the support that exists, but what the Government needs to do to ensure survivors are given the help they need.
The MP met with Martin Hibbert, vice president of the SIA, who sustained spinal cord injury in the Manchester Arena bomb attack. He now campaigns tirelessly on behalf of other people with spinal cord injury and credits the SIA with transforming his life after the atrocity in 2017.
“I hear lots of stories every week from disabled people struggling with some of the fundamentals of living and that’s completely unacceptable in 2023,” said Martin.
“How can it be right that someone is unable to leave their own home due to a lack of available carers or struggles to even access the correct wheelchair, let alone the barriers they face when they are in the outside world.”
During his three-hour visit to the SIA’s headquarters in Milton Keynes, the Minster was led through the journey of support that the charity provides to a spinal cord injured person, and has done since its foundation in 1974.
He met clinicians and support co-ordinators who detailed how simple coordinated support from the outset leads to improved outcomes, and heard from spinal cord injured people who had struggled to receive the care and mental health support they so badly need, which is why the charity is campaigning for change.
The Minister’s visit was made possible by TV presenter Dan Walker, who came to know Martin through his inspirational Martin’s Mountain campaign, which saw him raise almost £1million for the SIA through his climb of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Dan told the Minister live on his Channel 5 news programme that if he wanted to improve life for disabled people, he needed to meet Martin.
“It’s been inspirational to be here today at the Spinal Injuries Association with Martin, who is such a brilliant champion of this organisation,” said Tom Pursglove MP.
“I was determined to see the care that SIA provides and what more we can do to scale that work nationally. We are currently working on a Disability Action Plan and today was a great opportunity to understand more about what the charity can do to help the Government achieve its objectives, so that people with a spinal cord injury go on to live rewarding and fulfilling lives.”
Nik Hartley, CEO of SIA, added: “By meeting those we support, the Minister saw the importance of addressing the complex needs associated with spinal cord injury right from the moment of diagnosis, through treatment, rehab and for life.
“Spinal Injuries Association has a proven model that addresses these complex needs – linking health and care to an array of support services from the outset.
“This is not just the right thing to do, but saves the public money, frees up NHS beds, and enables more spinal cord injured people to live fulfilled and productive lives. Furthermore, our model could be replicated for other disabled people with life-long conditions.”
