Urgent Cauda Equina Care – Have Lessons Been Learned?

In collaboration with the Cauda Equina Champions Charity, we have conducted research that suggests there is still work to be done to improve emergency care for cauda equina syndrome so as to avoid life-changing outcomes.

We received feedback from a total of 127 respondents who identified as having cauda equina syndrome, and found that:

• there is still too long an interval between MRI scans being requested and taking place before going to a specialist spinal unit (51% waiting for over 12 hours for a scan after being told that they were going to have one);
• for those who didn't have an MRI scan until after transfer to a specialist spinal unit, 35% still didn't get an MRI scan until more than 12 hours after arrival at the specialist unit;