Injured bomb survivors are to get world class rehab
SOME of the most seriously injured survivors of the Manchester Arena attack will undergo rehabilitation at a world-class facility which specialises in treating sports stars.
Doctors have identified around 40 survivors to attend the cutting edge Manchester Institute of Health and Performance (MIHP), near the Etihad Stadium, which specialises in sports science and medicine.
The sessions will be paid for with £300,000 released by the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund which has raised more than £20m since the attack last May and £200,000 NHS cash.
The people who will attend the sessions have been chosen by medics as being the most likely to benefit, according to a spokesman for the fund. NHS staff will accompany the survivors to the centre and learn their specialist treatment techniques to care for them on a one-on-one basis using the centre’s high-tech equipment.
They will study the patients’ progress as part of a new research project in a bid to learn how best to treat people with similar injuries in future.
Dr Jason Wong, of the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, who is overseeing the project, said: “There are still people affected by the Manchester Arena attack who are struggling physically from life-changing injuries.
“We have this bold ambition to do things differently in Manchester and it struck us that there was a real opportunity to work closely across rehabilitation disciplines to help these people find their former function.
“The collaboration with MIHP will provide the NHS access to worldleading rehabilitation facilities alongside a community of expert sports scientists and sports medicine practitioners to work towards regaining best outcomes for these patients.”
The centre has treated Premier League football stars and professional boxers including Amir Khan and Anthony Crolla as well as private patients.
Their unique facilities include the biomechanics and physiology laboratories, a performance capture hall, environmental chamber, cryotherapy pods – which use extreme temperatures, hydro pods, antigravity treadmill, strength and conditioning facility, MRI, X-ray and specialist bone testing.
Sue Murphy, chair of the We Love Manchester Emergency Fund, added: “The partnership with MIHP and the NHS offers unprecedented access to world-class facilities and treatment for those most in need of therapy for physical injuries resulting from the attack.
“The research project we are working on will create a real legacy in the treatment of people suffering in this way and will present something positive in the aftermath of a truly awful situation.”
The Emergency Fund has already allocated £16m to help those affected by the bomb.