Rehabilitation Matters is a series of stories and perspectives from people who care about effective clinical rehabilitation and the benefits it provides. Started in Spring 2021 with this article by NRC Programme Director Miriam Duffy, the series includes viewpoints from patients, clinicians, surgeons, academic partners and others.
I regularly say to people “everyone owns a body and can do what they like with it – but if it goes wrong, there are things that will make a big difference to getting it back”.
That’s what rehabilitation is. Getting back to one’s full potential after serious injury or illness.
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As a major trauma surgeon, I’ve seen many people who have suffered from serious injury or illness over the years. My team does an excellent job operating on and saving people, and we’re incredibly proud of that. However, there’s nothing more rewarding than seeing a trauma patient rebuild their life following a serious accident and get back to work, university or college.
Thanks for saving my life, now what?
If you have a serious accident, the NHS will be brilliant at your time of utmost need. A&E is fantastic, trauma teams are highly skilled and specialised, resources are there and the system works. But once your life has been saved, what’s next in terms of your longer-term recovery? It’s a hard question to answer.
Chief Allied Health Professional at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust & Director National Rehabilitation Centre Programme
I don’t know Jack Willis, the 24-year old England flanker who went from hero to heartache at Twickenham this February, his leg pinned in a ruck and his knee buckled. One moment celebrating his debut try, the next simply trying to see a way back. His injury was serious – extensive damage to his knee – and, as he said at the time, his sporting life going from its highest to its lowest point within the space of five minutes.
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