New data reveals the number of people injured or diagnosed with a spinal cord injury is approximately double that previously estimated.
A new data analysis was conducted by Andrew Coxon, National Spinal Cord Injury Database (NSCID) Manager at the NHS, Abigail Lock, CEO at Back Up and Shajia Shahid, Clinical Research Network Manager at Spinal Research with the support of charities; Aspire, Spinal Injuries Association, Spinal Injuries Scotland, Stoke Mandeville Spinal Research, Wings For Life, Regain, Horatio’s Garden, Cauda Equina Spinal Cord Injury, Cauda Equina Champions Charity and Wheelpower.
The analysis indicates that there are an estimated 4,400 new cases of spinal cord injuries per year in the UK.
This equates to someone becoming paralysed every two hours. As a result, the estimated prevalence of spinal cord injuries in the UK has risen to 105,000.
“We are proud to have contributed to this collaborative process. It is vital that health and social care systems have the capacity to deliver care and support to our community. This also emphasises the importance of investing in research and development to drive even better outcomes in future.”
Louisa McGinn – Spinal Research CEO
The analysis was derived from multiple NHS data sources, including National Spinal Cord Injury Database and the UK Rehabilitation Outcomes Collaborative (UK ROC) covering admissions and referrals.
Previous estimates stated that there was a total of 50,000 people living with a spinal cord injury, with 2,500 new cases each year. These new estimates, however, indicate a considerable increase across both figures.
While improved data collection and further analysis are necessary, it is speculated that a significant portion of the increase can be attributed to the broader inclusion of both traumatic (stemming from physical trauma) and non-traumatic (e.g., cord compression, tumours, inflammation, and infections) injuries.
The charities are calling on all government departments to ensure that every person with spinal cord injury has the care and support they need and deserve to lead a fulfilled and independent life.
Spinal cord injury can be caused by an accident, an illness or a health condition. They affect not just your mobility and sensation, but also the functioning of your bladder, bowel, skin, breathing and sexual function.
