Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Day UK (SCIAD)
SCIAD 2026 – Friday 15 May
This spinal cord injury awareness day we will be bringing attention to the provision of spinal cord injury services and NHS England’s intention to transfer commissioning from national to local (ICB) level in April 2027.
SCIAD 2026 will mark the launch of a new campaign led by the charity sector to safeguard SCI services for everyone across the UK.
What is Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Day (SCIAD) ?
SCIAD is an annual event that raises awareness about spinal cord injury (SCI) and sheds light on the challenges faced by over 105,000 people in the United Kingdom.
In 2024 new key statistics were released that showed that the number of people sustaining and living with injuries was far higher than previously thought:
- 4,400 people are injured or diagnosed with a spinal cord injury (SCI) every year, not 2,500 as previously thought.
- The total size of the UK SCI population is now believed to be more than 105,000, not 50,000 as previously estimated.
- This means that approximately every two hours someone sustains a SCI (that’s 12 people a day).
In 2025, these stats have been updated:
- 4,700 people were injured or diagnosed with a spinal cord injury (SCI) every year. This is an increase of 300 additional cases on last years figure.
- The total size of the UK SCI population remains at more than 105,000.
* 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. * The calculation was based on the yearly incidences of SCI, the life expectancy of those living with SCI and the size of the total population
Working together
Alongside our charity partners, we will be doing everything we can to support our members and help them overcome the daily challenges disabled people face in our society.
Aspire | Back Up | Horatio’s Garden | Regain | Spinal Injuries Scotland | Spinal Research | Stoke Mandeville Spinal Research | WheelPower
National Spinal Cord Injury strategy
We are a coalition of spinal cord injury (SCI) charities and partner organisations and our goal is to improve care, support, and rehabilitation for people living with SCI. Spinal cord injuries are life-changing, affecting individuals, their families, carers, and communities.
If we had a strategy, it would be a plan on what good looks like. This is your chance to shape this plan.
We are working with the NHS, government bodies, and the healthcare community to make sure the strategy prioritises:
- Accessible rehabilitation
- Lifelong support
- Adequate funding and resources
Past SCIAD themes
How can you get involved?
We would love the spinal cord injured community to use the spotlight of this awareness day to share your own stories and experiences around this years theme.
Use the hashtag #SCIAD #SpinalCordInjuryAwarenessDay and tag SIA into your social media posts across all channels: @spinal_injuries (Instagram) and Spinal Injuries Association (Facebook), LinkedIn, BlueSky, Threads, Tik Tok and @spinalinjuries (X).