'Bionic gentleman' Craig Mackinlay holds an important meeting on limb loss

Lord Mackinlay of Richborough attended the meeting with Wes Streeting, along with Richard Whitehead and Tony Hudgell

BBC Lord Mackinlay from Richborough stands next to a table where Wes Streeting, Richard Whitehead and Tony Hudgell all sit. The setting is a traditionally decorated room with gold and red themes on the wallpaper and curtains. — Lord Mackinlay of Richborough attended the meeting with Wes Streeting, along with Richard Whitehead and Tony Hudgell

“Bionic gentleman” Craig Mackinlay, who lost his hands and feet after suffering sepsis, has met the Health Secretary to campaign for better limb loss support from the NHS.

Lord Mackinlay from Richborough attended the meeting, along with Paralympic gold medalist Richard Whitehead and 10-year-old Tony Hudgell, who lost his legs after being abused by his biological parents.

The meeting was organized on Tuesday after the former Kent MP was inspired by stories from the Paralympic Games and hearing about Tony’s experiences.

Lord Mackinlay said Health Secretary Wes Streeting had “listened carefully”, and he hoped he would now “look very carefully at what NHS England should provide”.

The former Kent MP had to learn to walk again after contracting sepsis

Lord Mackinlay sits on a chair on the lawn of a garden. He has prosthetic arms and legs and wears a blue shirt and black shorts. There are flowers and a trampoline behind him. — The former Kent MP had to learn to walk again after contracting sepsis

“Not just for the equipment, but also to help people get back to work, improve their mental health and feel like full human beings again,” he said after the meeting, which was held in the House of Lords.

He added that it was “fundamentally important” that people with limb loss bring their stories to Streeting. “It’s all in good fun reading reports; it’s nothing more than seeing people,” he said.

Lord Mackinlay had to learn to walk again with the help of prosthetic limbs after his hands and feet turned “black” and were amputated after contracted sepsis last September.

Paula Hudgell, mother of Tony from West Malling, said: “We are just happy to be on board.

“Hopefully we can really bring about some change within the prosthetics industry for NHS England and give everyone who needs a prosthetic limb of some sort the best they can have.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: “We thank Lord Mackinlay for his work to raise awareness of the dangers of sepsis and the transformative potential of high-quality prosthetics.

“We want to provide the best possible care to people with limb loss.”

They added that the department was funding research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research to improve outcomes for sepsis survivors.