"Lack of access to appropriate prosthetic devices"

I am two and a half years on from a left BKA that came out of the blue. From my first contact with the Prosthetic Team, they have been very positive and incredibly helpful. Despite a myriad of challenges, not least lack of staff, Elaine has always striven to do everything she can to support me as I move forward.

Despite some significant challenges I have returned to climbing, a sport I got into 47 years ago and can report that climbing as an amputee is probably more fun. I have also returned to cycling (road, gravel, and mountain) despite some aspects still needing to be resolved. I have also expanded on my open water swimming and now compete regularly both in the UK and abroad – this competitive element is new to me so amputation can lead to new things. These activities are vital to my continuing health and well-being and without Elaine and her very small team then none of this would have been possible. 

However, not all is well. Let me use climbing as a lens to explain one of the issues I have. My experience is that, as a lifelong climber, my access to this sport, so vital to my ongoing health and well-being, is not adequately supported by the systems in place in NHS Highland. Lack of access to appropriate prosthetic devices, despite them being readily available on the market at exceptionally low prices (far less than a bouncy, running leg) is one issue. However, even when such items have been gifted to me from manufacturers there seems to be an issue with using them despite the items being the same as those available for sale, just free.

There must be ways to incorporate this sort of opportunity, after all, you don't see NHS Trusts turning down new scanners because of their policies and insurance restrictions. I feel this lack on innovative thinking and archaic policy making is holding the service back and will result in higher costs of treating me as my health and well-being deteriorates if I am unable to get to ongoing support I need. Apart from anything else there is a strong odour of discrimination about this sort of behavior, maybe I should take up running!

In addition to the above, the service faces problems with lack of staff – not uncommon in the NHS, but with only one prosthetist the waits can be exceptional. I recently had three months where I could not use my prosthetic because it does not fit and I have no back-up and for a significant period I was trapped at home, unable to leave the property (lack of ramp still not installed despite me having paid my share. The Council and the NHS need to pull their collective fingers out). The result was a significant downturn in my physical and mental health. Having to wait so long for appointments has a cost and that will come back to the NHS in the end. Not being able to get appointments for months on end is not acceptable and the Trust needs to look at additional staffing or alternative ways to provide for this to avoid harm to patients.

If it were not for the superhuman efforts of Elaine then my story may not be as positive as it is despite the issues I have raised. But this is not something to breath a sigh of relief over. The ball sits firmly with the Trust to resolve these issues and start making the lives of prosthetic users more tolerable and fair.