---

Health Bill [HL]

I, too, associate myself with the amendment of the noble Baroness, Lady Masham. That is not simply on the basis of Yorkshire solidarity, commendable though that undoubtedly is, but comes from my experience in particular. Most of my ministry has been in coal-mining communities. The noble Baroness, Lady Wilkins, briefly referred to coal mining as an originator of the injuries of which we speak. I have awareness from working in a coal-mining village of the difference in treatment, and therefore in results, that is unique to the particular set of spinal injuries. Some with mining injuries had excellent treatment and have recovered or, at least, have been enabled to cope well with their injuries. Others, whose original injuries had been no more serious, remained ill and, in some cases, died quite unnecessarily, because they had not been treated quickly enough or with sufficient skill. There is a particular need for a national policy on spinal injuries, which are different from the other serious injuries that we see and of which we speak. I was almost surprised to hear that the number of new cases is as low as 700 a year. My own experience is of quite significant numbers. Certainly, if we add together both the immediate traumatic injuries, and those which appear through illness and infection, it is a significant number of people. Significant changes could be made in this area with significant results if the amendment were accepted into the Bill. I hope that we will do exactly that.