Kent's former bionic MP Craig Mackinlay calls for better NHS prosthetics after quadruple amputation

  • ITV Meridian's Joe Coshan has been to meet Craig Mackinlay

A former MP from Kent, who underwent a quadruple amputation, wants to use his maiden speech in the House of Lords to advocate for better prosthetics on the NHS.

Craig Mackinlay stood just a 5% chance of survival when he was placed into a coma last September - after being rushed to hospital with an aggressive form of sepsis.

Ten months on and concentrating on his rehabilitation - before he is sworn in as Lord Mackinlay of Richborough - Craig hopes he can become a leading voice for amputees.

"If you end up like this, you want to get back on to a life track as soon as you possibly can.

"I'm sorry to say, I don't think the original prosthetic hands the NHS provides do that," Craig told ITV Meridian.

"A bionic arm like mine costs around £50,000. The NHS will give you these, but you might have to wait three years for it. Surely it's less than the skin of the custard of the NHS budget, let's get on and provide these for people.

"It makes you feel like a human again."

Craig Mackinlay received a standing ovation from MPs on his return to the House of Commons in May. Credit: Parliament Live

The suddenness of the general election, just a day after his emphatic return to parliament, meant the former South Thanet MP decided not to seek re-election.

Instead, Craig was given a peerage in the House of Lords in one of Rishi Sunak’s final acts as Prime Minister - enabling him to continue his political career with a platform he wants to use to campaign on several issues, including raising awareness of the symptoms of sepsis.

He said: "Often it's you haven't passed water for a whole day. There will be vital signs: your temperature, your blood pressure and all of that will start to be going wrong.

"You will be feeling the worst that you've ever felt in the whole of your life. You need someone to recognise that, get you to the hospital and get you on the antibiotics to try to stop the worst effects."

Craig Mackinlay continues his rehabilitation after contracting sepsis last year. Credit: Craig Mackinlay

The former Conservative MP is calling on health professionals to develop a COVID-19 style test to recognise the early signs of the condition.

Craig will make his maiden speech in the House of Lords later this year.

"It gives me, you know, a chance to continue my political career that was, you know, sadly cut short.

"I'll never know whether I might have won that election. But, that doesn't matter now. I've got a voice at the Red End and I will use it."

An NHS spokesperson said: “The NHS provides a comprehensive package of care and support for people who have lost limbs, including a range of prosthetics. Bionic arms have been part of the offer since 2022, and we are looking at the clinical criteria to see whether more patients could access them quicker if their care teams think they would benefit.”

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