Isle of Wight woman calls for new law to support victims of traumatic accidents post-hospital
Cloe Denham's father had an accident which caused him to have life-changing injuries
An Isle of Wight woman's calling for a law to be introduced to support victims of traumatic accidents and their families post-hospital.
Cloe Denham's father had anaccident which caused him to have life-changing injuries.
She, alongside her sister, helped to care for him after hospital.
She said: "It's about getting that help and having a mental health check in maybe two weeks before leaving hospital.
"There was literally nothing.
"He had his whole leg reconstructed, he had a brain injury, so he had many things that he didn't know how to deal with."
Chris' Law wants hospitals and NHS Trusts to:
- Provide a personalised aftercare plan before discharge.
- Ensure follow-up welfare checks (physical and psychological) within 14 days.
- Appoint a named care coordinator or link worker for each trauma patient.
- Offer carer support, training, and respite guidance for families.
She says the support could've helped her with being a carer, too.
Ms Denham added: "I hadn't ever cared for my parents before because I'm only young.
"I was 33 at the time, so I didn't really expect to be caring for my dad.
"It would've been really nice to have had support on how to be a carer and how to look after him properly."
Ms Denham said she wants the government to explore legislative options for Chris' Law; an MP to raise the issue in Parliament and seek ministerial engagement; and improved NHS policy around post-trauma and mental health follow-up care.
We've reached out to NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight and the government for a response.