Treatment breakthrough for injured Doncaster soldier Ben Parkinson after legal campaign

Specialist lawyers at Irwin Mitchell, who have worked with Ben since he was injured while serving in Afghanistan in 2006, wrote to the MoD, NHS England and Doncaster Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) highlighting the gaps in Ben’s care which had arisen from a lack of funding and communication between the organisations.

The MoD has confirmed that it is their responsibly to commission primary care for Ben and NHS England has agreed that it is responsible for commissioning community and secondary care for him.

This means that NHSE will take over funding Ben’s personal health budget from the CCG following a “full care assessment” – to take place as soon as possible. The MoD has also offered a meeting between the parties to resolve the issues with Ben’s care.

Ben is currently waiting for new wheelchairs and broken gym equipment to be replaced. There is also not enough funding to pay carers to provide respite for his family and to take Ben swimming and to other much-needed rehabilitation treatments.

Alice Cullingworth, Ben’s solicitor at Irwin Mitchell said: “It is very good news that the organisations involved appear eager to resolve the issues regarding Ben’s care.

"Whilst we are hopeful the action proposed will resolve all the failings, we will be monitoring closely to ensure his needs are all going to be met.

"We will be asking the parties to confirm a tight timetable for the assessment and a round table meeting, because the issues with Ben’s care are urgent as he is shortly due to have surgery.”

Ben’s mother Diane said the issue should have been resolved sooner.

“While we are delighted that it seems there is some movement towards improving Ben’s care, we are disappointed that we needed to enlist lawyers to help us get to this point," she said.

“We hope that it will not be necessary to go to court, so long as NHS England and the MoD get together and work out how all Ben’s care needs will be met now and in the future.