Tom Morrison MP Leads Historic Parliamentary Debate Calling for Injury in Service Award

Tom Morrison, Member of Parliament for Cheadle, led a landmark debate in the House of Commons yesterday calling on the Government to establish a dedicated Injury in Service Award – a medal to formally recognise emergency service personnel who have suffered career-ending injuries in the line of duty.

The debate, held on Thursday 20th November, saw MPs from across the political spectrum unite in support of the campaign, with over fifty injured former police officers, firefighters and paramedics watching from the public gallery.

A Campaign Born in Cheadle

The campaign was brought to Tom's attention last year when his constituent, Jane Notley, attended one of his surgeries to share her story.

In 1989, while serving as a police officer in Manchester, Jane attempted to stop a criminal who was stealing cars. During the incident, her legs were crushed between two vehicles by the offender, who she says laughed as he did it. The attack left her completely unable to walk, and she was medically discharged from the force. The offender was never caught.

After years of surgery and treatment, Jane can now walk with the aid of her distinctive pink walking sticks. She retrained as a therapist and continues to serve her community – but she has never received any formal recognition for the sacrifice she made.

"Joining the police force was one of the proudest days of my life," Jane Notley said. "I lost the career I loved, but if someone met me on the street today, they would have no idea what I went through, no idea that I put myself in harm's way to protect our community."

Jane is far from alone. Freedom of Information requests to 44 police forces across England, Wales and Northern Ireland reveal that there are over 16,000 injured former police officers across the country – and that figure doesn't include paramedics, firefighters, prison officers and other public servants.

"A National Shame"

Speaking in the Commons, Tom Morrison described the lack of recognition as "a national shame" and called on the Government to act immediately.

"Not every brave officer, paramedic and firefighter recovers from their injuries," Tom told the House. "Not everyone can continue with the job they chose and love. And when injuries are so severe that they force someone to give up their work in public service, there is no recognition, no award, no medal."

"These people deserve their moment. They deserve recognition for all they put on the line and all they sacrificed. It is a national shame that no Government has acknowledged them and thanked them for their service. This has to change now."

The debate highlighted numerous cases of heroism that have gone unrecognised. PC Kris Aves was mown down during the Westminster Bridge terror attack in 2017 and is now paralysed and confined to a wheelchair. While PC Keith Palmer, who died in the same attack, was rightly awarded posthumous honours including the Elizabeth Emblem, Kris received no medal and no formal recognition – only the loss of his career.

Pam White was injured during the IRA attack on Harrods in 1983. Despite her injuries, she guided members of the public to safety. The injuries she sustained were so severe that she was forced to leave the force. Those killed in the bombing have since been awarded the Elizabeth Emblem, but Pam and other injured officers from that day remain overlooked.

Cross-Party Support

The campaign has garnered remarkable cross-party backing. Earlier this year, Tom tabled a Motion that has since gained 111 signatures from MPs representing every party in Parliament – from the Liberal Democrats, Labour and Conservatives to Reform, the Green Party and independents.

The Police Federation, Fire Brigades Union, Fire and Rescue Services Association, National Fire Chiefs Council and Unison have all declared their support for the proposal.

Tom Curry, a former Sussex police detective who was injured just weeks before reaching 22 years of service, has led the "999 Injured and Forgotten" campaign that brought the issue to Parliament. He has been described by MPs as "a force of nature" and "relentless" in his pursuit of justice for injured emergency workers.

"Tom Curry has built this campaign from the ground up," Tom Morrison said. "He is a former detective and that really does show – nothing gets past him, especially Governments dragging their feet. I can attest that our phones will not stop ringing and our inboxes will never be cleared until this medal of recognition is delivered."

Government Response Falls Short

Despite the overwhelming support, the Government's response left many disappointed. Home Office Minister Mike Tapp MP told the House that "work continues" to identify whether a medal is the best method of recognition, but declined to make any commitment or provide a timeline for a decision.

Tom Morrison expressed his frustration at the lack of progress.

"I'm obviously disappointed that we have not come to a firmer conclusion," he said following the debate. "To quote Tom Curry, 'Patience is a young man's game' – and many of the people we are talking about do not have patience. They have been waiting a long time for recognition. These people feel as though they have been discarded and forgotten."

"The gauntlet has been laid down. There is clearly cross-party support for this scheme. We have one of the most signed Early Day Motions and public support is behind it. There are people who deserve this recognition – they deserved it yesterday. Let us not wait another day."

The Proposal

The campaign is calling for a medal similar to the Elizabeth Emblem – which recognises those who have died in service – but for those who survived with life-changing injuries.

The proposed criteria would be straightforward: a public servant, injured on duty, and medically discharged from the service due to that injury.

The medal would allow those who have made significant sacrifices to wear their recognition proudly, enabling the public to understand and acknowledge the bravery and service they have contributed to this country.

To become reality, the Home Office must provide advice to the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals, and the Cabinet Office must decide to advance the proposal to that Committee. The King has the ultimate decision on the creation of any new medal.

A Promise to Keep Fighting

Despite the Government's reluctance to commit, the motion was passed unanimously by the House, with MPs agreeing to call on the Cabinet Office to establish the award.

Tom Morrison has vowed to continue the campaign until injured emergency workers receive the recognition they deserve.

"To Jane, Tom and everyone watching – this was your moment, this was your time," he said. "Thank you for driving this cause all the way into the Houses of Parliament. It is no small feat."

"I look forward to continuing this campaign with you all, and I promise: I will not stop until injured emergency service workers get the recognition they deserve."

Watch ITV Granada's coverage of the campaign below

Read the full debate in Hansard here.