We will shout as loudly as possible, as a national campaign, for joined-up, comprehensive medical services for adults with Cerebral Palsy. These are articulated clearly by the NICE guidelines, and the recommendations of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Cerebral Palsy.

In the meantime, and in any case, you need to be your own strongest advocate, when meeting your GP or other medical professional. Here is some information that can be useful to you when having that conversation.

Annual Self-Check Form

GP leaflet


What is Diagnostic Overshadowing?

Diagnostic overshadowing occurs when a healthcare professional assumes that a patient’s presenting condition is due to their disability rather than fully exploring the causes of the patient’s symptoms. For example, it may be assumed that a patient’s hip pain is due to muscle tone and spasm related to their Cerebral Palsy but this may also be the consequence of joint arthritis which would require further investigation.

Sometimes people living with CP presume that the pain they are experiencing is due to their Cerebral Palsy and therefore do not reach out to health professionals for further advice. The pain they are experiencing could be because there may be something else going on that needs investigating. Any new or on-going pain should be investigated especially if it impairs your function.

Diagnostic overshadowing can lead to late diagnosis and inadequate treatment.

Scarlett Murray is a 22 year-old mother of one, and a talented writer who blogs about her experiences of living with Cerebral Palsy. Her form of CP is left-sided hemiphlegia. She tells us her story.

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Young woman with little girl (Scarlett Murray and daughter)

Clive Gilbert is a leading policy expert on assistive technology for disabled people, drawing in part, on his own experiences living with Cerebral Palsy. He tells us his story.

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Man using assistive technology (Clive Gilbert)