We hope you, communities, parents, families, athletes of all abilities and those who are disabled will agree with The Douglas Bader Foundation that disabled children and young adults deserve to be treated as equals.

Children and young persons are forced to watch their peers take part from the side-lines because children are refused prosthetic limbs for anyone with Limb Loss or Limb Deficiency to take part in PE, sport or recreational activities.

The advice the NHS give parents and families is they should either buy an artificial limb privately or seek funding from a Charity.  Please share.

 

More info….

In this a Paralympic year where we are once again reminded of the 2012 Legacy, Jeremy Hunt cannot continue, as he has for 3 years, to promote this fundamental disconnect and frustrate the ambitions of the Nation.  THE NHS MUST BE ABLE TO PROVIDE PROSTHETIC LIMBS FOR SCHOOL SPORTS AND PE TO CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS WITH LIMB LOSS OR LIMB DEFICIENCY FOR THEIR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELLBEING, TO PARTCIPATE IN AND CONTRIBUTE TO SOCIETY AS EQUALS.

The Government agrees:  So why will The Secretary of State for Health not address the issue?

DESPITE   “The most important thing is the change in perception about what disabled people are capable of—that is a real gift and it is something we should encourage”. Rt Hon DAVID CAMERON, Prime Minister

DESPITE “I am passionate about enabling more disabled people to participate in sport and physical activity at all levels and in all aspects, whether they are competitors, spectators, volunteers or workers. The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games changed the way that people think about disabled people and sport, and I want to ensure that we continue to build on that momentum.” JUSTIN TOMLINSON MP, Minister for Disabled People, Department for Work and Pensions

DESPITE “The NHS belongs to the people. It is there to improve our health and wellbeing, supporting us to keep mentally and physically well, to get better when we are ill, and when we cannot fully recover, to stay as well as we can to the end of our lives. It works at the limits of science – bringing the highest levels of human knowledge and skill to save lives and improve health. It touches our lives at times of most basic human need, when care and compassion matter most. The NHS is founded on a set of common principles and values that bind together the communities and people it serves – patients and the public – and the staff who work for it.” The NHS Constitution: 

 DESPITE “Any action taken to address this shortfall in engagement in sport and physical activity must ensure that hard to reach groups are not excluded.  For example, disabled children should be as fully involved in School Sport and PE as every other child in their class”. Cross Ministerial support for the Government’s ambition - Sporting Future: A new Strategy for a Sporting Nation

DESPITE "The impact that sport has on physical and mental health, from dementia-friendly swimming sessions to Street League for unemployed youngsters, alongside sport and physical activity more broadly, shows the power to transform people’s wellbeing and create a fitter, healthier and happier nation’’. TRACEY CROUCH MP, Minister for Sport, Tourism and Heritage 

DESPITE:  “The core objectives [of NHS England] include the active participation of the individual, returning the post amputation individual to their pre-amputation activity levels wherever possible”.....  “For patients with congenital limb deficiency the aim is to improve mobility from birth and function to a level that maximises independence, inclusion and participation in society”.  The National Commissioning Specification for Complex Disability Equipment

DESPITE “There are clear and significant health inequalities in relation to physical inactivity according to income, gender, age, ethnicity and disability.”   Department of Health guidance from the 4 Chief Medical Officers

DESPITE “The physical benefits of sport and physical activity are well documented, and provide the main rationale for current investment in increasing sport participation. Being active can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 30-40% and can reduce the risk of a range of medical conditions, including cancer, dementia, strokes, heart disease and depression, but only 56% of adults are physically active for the 150 minutes each week which are part of recommendations by the UK’s CMOs. The figures are lower still for children. Physical inactivity costs the UK an estimated £7.4bn each year. The physical wellbeing benefits of sport will continue to be a central reason for government investment.” Sporting Future: A new Strategy for a Sporting Nation

DESPITE “I have seen at first-hand the positive power sport and recreation exert, from children of all backgrounds.” MARCUS JONES MP Minister for Local Government Department for Communities and Local Government

DESPITE “We want everyone to feel that sport is for them, no matter if they are a seasoned athlete or a complete beginner... for some people the very best thing about sport participation is the thrill of competition, and that is absolutely to be encouraged. “But we should also make sure that people who don’t want to be the next Bradley Wiggins or Nicola Adams still feel that sport is for them too. And by giving everyone the chance to participate, we can create a healthier and happier country to live in.” Rt Hon JOHN WHITTINGDALE MP OBE Secretary of State Department for Culture, Media and Sport

DESPITE “Sport has huge potential to break down barriers. It can bring people of all ages, backgrounds and cultures together, acting as a powerful social glue. We need to make the most of the unique opportunities sport can bring to promote equality in our wider society. Government is committed to combating prejudice wherever it may be. There is no place for sexism, homophobia, racism or any other discrimination in sport. Ensuring that the culture of sport is inclusive and diverse will take commitment from the entire sector as well as government – but we are clear that it is a goal worth fighting for.” CAROLINE DINENAGE MP Minister for Women, Equalities and Family Justice Government Equalities Office

DESPITE   “Provision for children and young people will rightly sit at the heart of a new strategy for sport in this country.’’ EDWARD TIMPSON MP, Minister for Children and Families, Department for Education

This Petition is in response to the frustration, the Charities and Patient Representatives who represent the Limb Loss community see, that Children and Young Adults face on a daily basis.  The ambitions of the Government and the Nation are being blocked by Departmental dithering and lack of progress in seeking a solution to this disconnect since the Paralympics of 2012.   Help us to make a change! 

"Help Us To Help Them Fight Back" Douglas Bader

Nigel Haigh and David Bickers

16th February 2016