UK Trampoline Ban Likely

If you want a trampoline for your back garden in Summer 2010 the consensus is you had better buy it now as trampolines are likely to be in short supply next summer due to a ban that is being considered by the UK Government in an attempt to cut-back on NHS spending.

Trampoline Injury Cost

The cost of trampoline related injuries is so serious that it threatens to cripple many hospital A&E Units throughout the UK in Summer 2010. With more long-term injuries such as acute Spinal Injury happening as a result of trampoline accidents, it is in the Government’s interests to do all they can to prevent accidents from happening. Treatment for a  spinal injury is known to run into millions of pounds over the duration of someone affected by paralysis. Each spinal injury alone in the UK is said to cost the NHS £1m in care each year. A Government aide close to Gordon Brown suggested the problem was becoming so acute that emergency legislation may be introduced prior to the General Election in 2010, such was the seriousness of the problem.

ROSPA Trampoline Figures

Figures from The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA) show that 4,200 children under the age of 15 suffered accidents  last year, with that figure due to rise in 2010 given that many more trampolines  are installed in the back gardens of home owners since this data was compiled.

Fitness Uproar

The prospect of banning trampolines from the back gardens of UK householders has left fitness and obesity experts outraged that at a time when child obesity is on the up the UK Government is potentially going to outlaw an essential fitness tool that is within the price budgets of even low-income families.

The effect of further advances of child obesity is a massive problem for the UK Government and the removal of trampolines from back gardens is likely to cause uproar in health and fitness circles.

Olympics Miss

The removal of trampolines from the gardens of UK homes will have a detrimental affect on Team GB’s chances of winning Trampoleening gold medals at the forthcoming 2012 London Games; ministers though are said to be happy to not win gold in any trampoleening event should they be abler to save the NHS £50 million.

Trampoline Waste

What is not known at this time is what will become of the hundreds of thousands of trampolines already installed in back gardens up and down the country. The following image shows the number of trampolines there are in a single 600 yard square. With landfill also being an acute problem for the UK, it would appear ministers have not thought this aspect of their cost cutting drive out! What is not known at this time is whether the ban will only apply to sales of new trampolines or whether the emergency legislation will enforce the removal of all trampolines expect from supervised professional sports facilities.