Concerns have been raised with the Prime Minister that dedicated beds at one of the UK’s leading spinal injuries hospital are not being used to help people with spinal injuries.
Wrexham MP Ian Lucas – a long-term supporter of people with spinal injuries following work he did at Gobowen Spinal Injuries Centre in Shropshire – raised the issue during Prime Minister’s Questions today.
He told the Prime Minister: “Specialist spinal cord injury beds are a precious resource for people and patients in desperate need.
“Why is it therefore that, on the Prime Minister’s watch, specialist beds at the Stoke Mandeville spinal injuries centre are being used for people who do not have spinal cord injuries?”
In reply, Prime Minister David Cameron said the decision was one for the trust involved.
However, speaking afterwards, Mr Lucas said he was disappointed that the Prime Minister had not grasped the importance of the problems he had highlighted.
He said: “Spinal injuries patients are very vulnerable and their lives can be transformed by specialist care at the right time.
“However, concerns have been raised with me in recent days that dedicated beds at Stoke Mandeville are not being used to help people with spinal injuries.
“Given that the hospital is a national centre, this is a national issue – I was disappointed the Prime Minister did not even recognise the issue.”
