Friends of The Spinal Foundation

The Friends of the Spinal Foundation was set up in November 2003. Our key objective is to ensure that we, as patients, continue to have the choice of specialist Keyhole Laser Spinal surgery for chronic spinal problems. In supporting this endeavour, we want to enable Mr Knight and his team to continue the research and development of more effective applications for the treatment of spinal disorders and to research in to the causes of patients’ pain, return them to improved spinal health and a better quality of life. Above all we want that this choice remains open to all.

As many of you will be aware, this simple choice was jeapordised by the withdrawal of funding in 2003, for a major randomised Controlled Trial of patients of Endoscopic Laser Foraminoplasty compared to conventional spinal surgery.
The second blow, came from ‘NICE’ the National Institute for Clinical Health and Excellence (NICE), who published deeply inaccurate and poorly informed statements about Endoscopic Laser Foraminoplasty surgery on their website. As a consequence this badly affected NHS referrals to the Spinal Foundation.

The Friends Committee consists of : Charlie Bronks, Bernadine Bamford and Brian Tickner - all of us are ex and current patients, whose lives have been changed for the better - which makes us all the more determined to fight for The Spinal Foundation. Patients have been writing to their MPs and fundraising in droves, sending in personal cheques, anything and everything to keep The Spinal Foundation afloat and this choice of treatment open to patients. Everyone of these actions has made a difference.

FRIENDS CONTACTS

We welcome any suggestions so, if you think you can help in any way, please get in touch with us at The Spinal Foundation at the following points of contact:

Kevin Warburton
Tel:01260 296346
friends@spinal-foundation.org