The British Chiropractic Association is supporting a new major campaign, calling for universal access to patient rehabilitation.

A major new campaign launched on 19th February, calling for an end to the postcode lottery for NHS rehabilitation services that help people recover from the likes of car crashes, cancer or strokes.

The UK’s largest and longest-standing membership body for chiropractors joins forces with over 30 healthcare organisations and former Top Gear presenter and rehab patient, Richard Hammond, calling for universal access to patient rehabilitation.

There is currently no guaranteed access to this vital care and the campaign is calling for life-changing NHS rehab services to be made available to everyone in the UK, no matter where they live.

The BCA prides itself on raising awareness about the rigour, relevance and evidence of chiropractic, and showing how it can be integral to the UK healthcare system. By supporting this campaign, the BCA is showcasing how chiropractic care can support both rehab patients on their healthcare journey and wider healthcare organisations and peers when treating patients with musculoskeletal conditions.

Alongside the BCA, the campaign is also supported by more than 30 healthcare charities, royal colleges and professional bodies such as, the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP), the British Geriatric Society, Asthma+Lung UK and the Stroke Association who are all members of the Community Rehabilitation Alliance.

The campaign, created by intensive care rehabilitation nurse, Kate Tantam, and her multi-professional team, alongside independent creative agency, Pablo, celebrates patients’ ‘firsts’ since hospitalisation – the first tentative footsteps or first halting words – monumental milestones for those lucky enough to receive specialist rehabilitation care.

The patients’ first steps are now on billboards around the UK and the re-learned voice is a radio ad with a voiceover from Richard Hammond who himself needed many months of specialist rehabilitation after suffering a traumatic brain injury in a high-speed crash whilst filming Top Gear in 2006.

Rehabilitation, including Chiropractic, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy and Specialist Nutritional Support, plays a vital role in helping people recover after an accident or illness, such as a stroke, cancer or car crash. But shockingly, millions of people don’t have access to NHS rehab services in their area.

When patients don’t have access to rehab, it can slow or halt their recovery, damaging their quality of life and mental health, and causing lasting disability, distress and deterioration of health. Quality rehab takes a multidisciplinary team effort, from chiropractors, physiotherapists, nurses, speech and language therapists, support workers, occupational therapists and psychologists, all playing a major role in a patient’s recovery.

The statistics are shocking:
• For stroke victims, rehabilitation can reduce the risk of a further stroke by 35% and enable people to regain their independence, but fewer than 1 in 3 get the help they need.
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) exacerbations are the 2nd largest cause of emergency hospital admissions. Rehabilitation reduces admissions by 14% and hospital bed days by 50% but less than 40% of eligible people are offered it.
• Cardiovascular disease accounts for 1 million hospital admissions per year, 100,000 of these are due to heart attacks. Rehabilitation prevents the progression     of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and heart attacks. Yet only 50% of eligible patients receive it. There would be 50,000 fewer hospital admissions if access was 85%.

The campaign directs people to PetitionForRehab.com, where they can sign a petition calling for rehab to be made available everywhere and for a named rehab lead to be appointed on every hospital trust and board in the UK.

Speaking about how chiropractors can help tackle this major issue, BCA President, Tim Button, said: 'Chiropractors can often be the first port of call for patients experiencing painful musculoskeletal conditions which require a rehabilitative approach to care. By integrating rehabilitation into primary care, chiropractors can positively impact healthcare systems by providing a ready assembled workforce, well educated in the field of rehabilitation. This can reduce the number of hospitalisations and re-admissions required by increasing coverage and access to services.

Chiropractors also benefit from being able to provide continuity of care over a long period of time, allowing for the development of a long-term relationship between a patient and a provider. This helps foster an environment of trust, understanding and respect. Chiropractors need to develop and maintain positive communication channels with other healthcare providers in their local communities to enable building awareness of service provision and openness to collaboration.'

The billboards are live in seven cities throughout the UK and the radio ads are being played nationwide.