NHS prosthetics are holding Britain's 'next generation of gold medalists' back
23 August 2024, 18:33
A Paralympic champion has said NHS prosthetics are holding Team GB back from winning more medals.
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Speaking ahead of the Paris Paralympics, runner Richard Whitehead said the health service must improve if Britain wanted to bring through the “next generation” of gold medalists.
Whitehead branded prosthetics produced by the NHS are "not fit for purpose" and said they often cause discomfort and itching for runners.
The NHS only prescribes sports prosthetics to adults in rare cases
Whitehead, who has won two Paralympic gold medals and multiple world titles, explained he doesn’t see enough people in the UK being active with prosthetics.
"I want to see a lot more young people running around [and] climbing trees in sports prosthetics, in running blades - I don't see them," he told the BBC.
He added that in the US if someone runs a marathon with a prosthetic it’s "it's not a special occasion", but in the UK, it is.
Sports prosthetics in the UK can be very expensive ranging from £1,000 to £50,000, often locking lower-income families from purchasing them.
Whitehead is not the only Paralympian to call out the quality of NHS prosthetics.
Jamie Gane, the world number one for para obstacle-course racing, branded the NHS-provided prosthetic he received "useless" for elite sport.
Gane eventually paid to have a different prosthetic fitted to use in the gym.
"I could probably do a couple of Parkruns and a little bit of sport but nowhere near the level that I do now," he said.
However, David Rose, of the Limbless Association charity, claims NHS prosthetics have come on leaps and bounds in recent years, with the health service doing more "than it did even five to 10 years ago".
Responding to Whitehead’s criticism, Rose claims "we have to make the best of what we have".
