The Midland Centre for Spinal Injuries (MCSI) and the Orthopaedic Institute welcomed delegates from 16 countries for the first European Spinal Cord Rehabilitation Training Course at the Robert Jones & Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital (RJAH) in June
As the only European centre for spinal cord injuries recognised for training by the European Board of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, the MCSI was chosen to co-host the first two days of this four-day event. The best final year registrars in this specialist field were selected by their respective national managers to attend the course.
Lecturers with acclaimed expertise in their given field travelled to the hospital from all over the UK and Europe to share their knowledge and experience in the rehabilitation of patients with various forms of spinal cord injury. With such an eminent faculty the feedback from the delegates was overwhelmingly appreciative.
MCSI’s consultant surgeon in spinal injuries, Mr Naveen Kumar said: “It’s an absolute privilege that we have been chosen as the first centre in the UK. This is a truly fantastic opportunity for the organisation, which is already recognised as an international centre of excellence.
“Thank you to the European Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine and Board of the European Union of Medical Specialists for not only selecting us but contributing financially towards the running of the course, by offering senior Doctors from 16 countries a place.”
The MCSI (established in 1965) based at The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital is one of 11 in the UK designated specialist spinal cord injury centres to receive and treat spinal cord injured patients. The centre is one of excellence and serves a catchment of 10 million from North Wales, Mid Wales, South Mersey, Cheshire and The West Midlands and provides a lifelong service to a current population of 3,500 patients. It is a referral centre for spinal injuries from four regional Major Trauma Centres and about 25 other acute hospitals. MCSI provides acute and lifelong care including follow up in its outpatient department. This dedicated spinal cord injury centre provides a comprehensive rehabilitation service including: Physiotherapy, Wheelchair / specialist seating, 3D Gait analysis, Occupational therapy, Electrotherapy, Isokinetics laboratory evaluation, Exercise testing, Hydrotherapy, Video-urodynamics, Orthotic workshop, Neurophysiology, Prosthetic workshop, Vocational rehabilitation.
The Orthopaedic Institute is a charity which provides funds for research and education at the Robert Jones & Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital. Course organiser, Siân Jones, who organises 26 clinical courses a year at the hospital, said: “It was a particular privilege to organise this course for the MCSI, as it represents the first course of its type in Europe. Our hope is that the course will become a regular fixture in the calendar of European spinal cord rehabilitation medicine doctors.”
