A specialist team of medical professionals in Shropshire who help people deal with serious spinal injuries have been hailed as “life-changers” after being shortlisted for a national award.

The Midland Centre for Spinal Injuries (MCSI), based at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Hospital in Oswestry, is in the running for a Spinal Injuries Association (SIA) Rebuilding Lives Award.

The team is shortlisted for the Outstanding Achievement Award, sponsored by Shropshire-based law firm, Lanyon Bowdler, who said the recognition was richly deserved.

Kay Kelly, head of clinical negligence at Lanyon Bowdler, has knowledge of the team through various cases, and said they did an amazing job and were very well-respected.

She said: “The Rebuilding Lives Awards are a truly inspiring initiative because they highlight so many people who work really hard to improve the lives of their patients. The Midland Centre for Spinal Injuries in Oswestry is incredible, and I have seen first hand the hugely positive impact its specialist and life-changing work can have on patients. We are proud to be able to sponsor the Outstanding Achievement Award and wish the team luck at the awards ceremony.”

Dawn Humphries, personal injury solicitor and spinal injuries specialist at Lanyon Bowdler, will represent the firm at the ceremony along with Kay Kelly, and said: “We are very privileged to have the Midlands Spinal Injuries Centre here in Shropshire. “All of the team at the RJAH offer outstanding rehabilitation facilities to our clients following a spinal cord injury.”

The Rebuilding Lives Awards take place on June 9 in Birmingham, and medical units from across the UK will be vying for a range of awards.

As well as the overall award, an individual member of each unit will be awarded for their special contribution to the treatment and care of people with spinal cord injuries. The shortlisted staff members from the MCSI  are ward manager Rebecca Warren, nurse consultant Alison Lamb and business co-ordinator Heather Edwards.

Mark Brandreth, Chief Executive of the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Hospital, said: “Our team from MCSI do a fantastic job and this nomination is well deserved.
“The feedback I have seen from patients and their families has overwhelmingly been positive about the quality of the care which the dedicated staff provide. It truly is a world class service".