Medical repatriation following serious spinal injury in Switzerland
Whilst on holiday in Switzerland, a young woman sustained a serious spinal injury as a result of a snowboarding accident. The spinal injury unfortunately resulted in paraplegia for the patient. She also suffered a fracture to her hand during the incident.
Challenge
Healix faced immediate challenges in providing timely support to the patient. Strict Swiss data protection laws made it difficult to access the patient’s medical information. Our team worked directly with the treating neurosurgeon to build trust, enabling regular updates to her insurer and family, who had become frustrated by the treating hospital’s lack of communication.
Approach
The patient initially received spinal fixation for the fracture followed by a second spinal surgery eight days later. Healix maintained close contact with the treating team to plan her hand surgery. Despite efforts, delays continued. As a musician, there was added pressure to ensure the patient had timely surgery so her ability to play was not affected. In consultation with the patient’s mother, Healix decided to arrange a transfer back to the UK. We explored both private and NHS options before coordinating the next steps. Given the complexity of her condition and the need for specialist trauma care, the NHS was chosen for ongoing treatment.
Outcome
Once declared fit to fly, we transferred the patient by air ambulance to a local UK trauma hospital. Healix navigated the complexities of NHS referrals in London and secured her admission within a few weeks of the original injury. This avoided further treatment delays and escalating costs, ensuring the patient could begin her recovery as quickly as possible.