News
Our statement on the Government’s 10 year health plan
Spinal Injuries Association welcomes today’s announcement from the Prime Minister and Health Secretary, launching a new 10 year health plan – particularly its bold commitment to expand neighbourhood health services that deliver more personalised, proactive care in the community.
This shift recognises that people with complex needs, including spinal cord injuries, require joined-up support tailored to their individual lives, not just reactive treatment when things go wrong. It is a significant step towards the kind of compassionate, integrated system that disabled people have long called for.
We are especially pleased to see the Government commit to ensuring that 95% of people with complex needs will have a co-created personal care plan by 2027, a policy that stems directly from the work of the Spinal Injuries Association.
Over the past few years, we identified a critical gap in the system: far too often, people with spinal cord injuries were forced to retell their needs repeatedly in general healthcare settings that did not understand their condition leading to unsafe care, preventable complications, and poor outcomes.
In communication with the Government and key services we pioneered specialised care plans to address the daily challenges faced by people with spinal cord injury navigating general health and care services. These care plans have already been adopted by individuals with spinal cord injury and several spinal cord injury centres (SCICs), and have shown they can transform care, reduce complications, and give people greater control over their health.
Nik Hartley OBE, chief executive of the Spinal Injuries Association, said:
This is a game-changer for our community. We’ve spent years developing and championing personalised care plans that transform the quality and safety of care for people with spinal cord injuries.
“It’s incredibly rewarding to see the Government commit to making this the national standard, recognising what our members have always known: that care built around the individual’s specific and specialised needs doesn’t just improve lives, it saves them.”
We’re proud to have helped shape this change, and we stand ready to work with the Government and the NHS to ensure it becomes a reality for tens of thousands of people across the country.
This commitment will materially improve the hospital and community care experience for tens of thousands of people, reduce the need to repeatedly explain complex needs, prevent pressure sores and unsafe bowel care, and ultimately help save lives. It will also save the NHS money, reduce emergency admissions, and lead to better long-term health outcomes.
We look forward to working with the Government and the NHS to help implement personal care plans for the spinal cord injury community and ensure the proper training of professionals to back this commitment and track its impact so that we continue to push for change where it’s needed next.
In addition, we warmly welcome the Government’s formal recognition of rehabilitation as a core pillar of the new NHS model, included explicitly in the plan’s commitment to neighbourhood-based services and advanced community roles. This marks a major milestone in our collaborative work through the Community Rehabilitation Alliance (CRA), and it reinforces what we know to be true: that rehabilitation is fundamental to recovery, independence, and long-term health. This must come with investment in specialist understanding and skills at the regional level. It is a key pillar of what we are campaigning for through our call for a National Strategy for Spinal Cord Injury and we will continue to push for rehabilitation, personalised care, and specialist support to be embedded throughout the health and care system.
These are major wins for the spinal cord injury community and for all those with complex needs whose voices deserve to shape the future of health and care in this country. And most importantly, they are steps that will change, and save, lives. We will work to ensure they are implemented in full.
What is an essential care passport?
An Essential care passport (formerly known as Emergency Care Plan) is a crucial document that a spinal cord injury specialist clinician will prepare with you, in preparation for any planned or unplanned admissions to a non – SCI specialist centre. They will discuss and record your needs and preferences in advance, encompassing the essential aspects of care and treatment you require to keep safe. It serves as a roadmap for healthcare providers, ensuring that they understand your specific needs and can respond appropriately when planned or urgent situations arise.
An SIA members view:
“I’m 64 and have no relatives, so I’m forced to self-advocate when in hospitals or taken in, and I don’t do that well due to PTSD. Having a care plan kept in my bags/pockets too is a reassurance for me.”
“It does take away that anxiety of having to have conversations that you shouldn’t have to deal with as a patient. The anxiety of at least that one thing is off the list, which is good.”
“The staff loved it because it told them everything that they needed to know about my specific care regime and what they needed to do and how they needed to do it.”
Essential care passport – THE PROCESS
More information
