Legal News

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is to fund a trial of life changing surgery for amputees, paid for by the Armed Forces Covenant (LIBOR) Fund.

The MoD has successfully bid for £2 million of LIBOR funding to carry out a direct skeletal fixation (DSF) trial, which will enable some veterans and service personnel to have the potentially life changing surgery.

Serving and veteran amputees are currently provided with socket-based prosthetics – however, due to the nature of their injuries, some recipients of the prosthetics suffer from complex stump complications.

The MoD says that the benefits of walking on prosthetics can be both psychological and physical – and using a prosthetic limb can dramatically improve lifestyle and long-term health, as well as reducing dependency. Being able to use a prosthetic can also have economic benefits, opening up more employment options.

The new technique DSF – also called Osseo-Integration – involves inserting a titanium prosthetic implant directly into the bone, replacing socket-based technology. DSF eradicates the complications associated with traditional prosthetics, says the MoD.

Minister for Defence Personnel and Veterans, Mark Lancaster MP, said:

“The government’s commitment to those who have made enormous sacrifices on recent operations is made clear by this award of LIBOR funding and the forthcoming trial.

“We want our personnel to know that we appreciate they risk injury while defending the nation – and that we will support their needs.

“It is also important that this trial extends to some of our most seriously injured veterans.”

A small number of service personnel have already undergone MoD-funded DSF surgery with encouraging results, says the MoD.

The first three procedures were carried out in Australia and a further two have been carried out in the UK by military surgeons, under the supervision of an Australian expert.

The new funding will enable extension of the initial pilot to a further 20 carefully selected patients for two-and-a-half years from April 2016.

It is planned that the DSF procedure will be carried out at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham – with follow on rehabilitation at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre at Headley Court.

NHS England has independently commissioned a study to evaluate DSF outcomes – and says the procedure could be of value to NHS patients across the UK among the general population.

Duncan Lewis Personal Injury Solicitors – No win no fee Claims Against MoD

Duncan Lewis personal injury solicitors can advise serving personnel or former servicemen and women who have suffered injury in the course of their duties as a result of negligence on how to make a no win no fee claim for compensation, including claims involving:

• Cold weather injuries
• Equipment failures
• Failure in command
• Heat injuries
• Live combat injuries
• Negligent discharge
• PTSD/psychological injury
• Road traffic accidents
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Claims against MoD usually have to be made within three years of injury or diagnosis of injury – and compensation can be paid under the Armed Forces Compensation Fund or via the civil courts.

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For expert legal advice on no win no fee Claims Against MoD, call Duncan Lewis personal injury solicitors on 0333 772 0409.