Hull-based Hudgell Solicitors has renewed its partnership with the Spinal Injuries Association (SIA) after a successful year of campaigning for the rights of people with spinal cord injury.
The SIA provide an expert guiding voice for life after spinal cord injury, whilst Hudgell Solicitors has established a national reputation for taking on some of the country’s most challenging miscarriages of justice.
Hudgells became the SIA’s official campaign for change partner in 2024 to fight for the rights of people with spinal cord injury, a partnership which will continue for the next 12 month.
Dharshana Sridhar, campaigns manager at the SIA, says the SIA and Hudgells have campaigned for increased awareness and better healthcare for people living with spinal cord injury, and have made a positive impact in Government, at a time when the need is greater than ever.
Figures released in 2024 show that every two hours, someone in the UK sustains a life-changing spinal cord injury, with 4,400 people newly injured every year.
There are currently 105,000 people living with spinal cord injury in the UK. The effects of spinal cord injury are usually permanent and include paralysis, loss of bladder, bowel, and sexual function, and skin issues including pressure ulcers.
“Over the last year, the partnership has seen the charity’s campaigning go from strength to strength, as we hosted parliamentary roundtables, reconvening the all-party parliamentary group to raise awareness in government of spinal cord injury, and have been in conversation with the Department of Health and Social Care to advocate for those living with spinal cord injuries,” she said.
“Our campaign efforts have made substantial progress in shifting policy, gaining parliamentary traction, and fostering new alliances within the healthcare sectors.”
Campaigns have brought positive change
With the support of Hudgell Solicitors, the charity has also collaborated with the National Wound Care Strategy Alliance and advocated for more inclusive pressure ulcer diagnosis in dark skin tones.
The launch of the Women’s Healthcare Taskforce, which includes MPs, healthcare providers, and women with lived experience, addressed inequalities in diagnostic testing for disabled women, including access to mammograms, which are often inaccessible for women paralysed from the chest down. The campaign saw its first win with the Department of Health and Social Care’s updated breast screening guidance for disabled women.
The SIA’s Paralysed Bowel Campaign, which aims to improve bowel care for people with spinal cord injuries, particularly in healthcare settings which often lack training to help patients with their continence needs, has also made a significant impact.
The Bowel Care Roundtable gathered top-level influencers, including NHS representatives, MPs, legal representatives, including Hudgell Solicitors, and charity leaders together, and the SIA established the first neurogenic bowel awareness day on February 10 this year.
Rachel Di Clemente, CEO at Hudgell Solicitors, said: “It is an honour and absolute pleasure to work alongside the campaigns team at the Spinal Injuries Association. Their commitment and passion to create positive change for the spinal cord injured community is relentless. We remain committed to doing whatever we can to support them in the fight for change.”
Nik Hartley OBE, CEO of the Spinal Injuries Association said: “The partnership with Hudgell Solicitors has propelled SIA’s advocacy to unprecedented levels and our continued collaboration will allow SIA to expand on these gains, ensuring long-term, systematic change across healthcare, policy, and social awareness domains.
“Our campaigns team remains committed to deepening this impactful relationship with Hudgells, building on our shared vision for an inclusive, equitable future for all those affected by spinal cord injury.”