How the British Polio Fellowship is using #FightForNeuro to stand up for polio survivors

Published in the Irish News Friday, 5 December 2025

Most of us in Northern Ireland think of polio as something from the history books, wiped out by vaccines back in the 1980s. But for around 50,000 people across the UK, polio never truly left. Decades after their original infection, often in childhood, survivors are now dealing with Post-Polio Syndrome (PPS), a painful return of symptoms they thought were long behind them. And in the middle of this struggle is the British Polio Fellowship (BPF), the organisation that has quietly been supporting and fighting for survivors for years.

The BPF started in 1939, founded not by doctors or officials, but by polio survivors themselves. Back then, it was called the Infantile Paralysis Fellowship, and its aim was simple: to support each other and push back against the barriers society placed in their way. Despite financial challenges that spirit hasn’t changed. What has changed is the focus, today, the BPF is helping people cope with PPS, a condition that brings new muscle weakness, exhaustion that can knock people off their feet, and chronic pain.

One of the biggest problems is that hardly anyone knows about PPS, including many doctors. Because polio hasn’t been seen for decades, a lot of healthcare professionals have never been trained to recognise its long-term effects. This leads to survivors being misdiagnosed or given advice that actually makes things worse, like being told to exercise more when their muscles simply can’t cope. Too many people are left feeling dismissed, misunderstood, and written off as “just getting older.”

That’s where the BPF comes in. They offer practical information, a telephone helpline, welfare advice, and local groups that help people feel less alone. They’ve even created an “Optimal Clinical Pathway” to guide healthcare professionals, so survivors get the right treatment from the start. And through their work with the Northern Ireland Neurological Charities Alliance (niNCA) and its #FightForNeuro campaign, they’re pushing hard for better, more specialised care for those living with PPS.

The BPF isn’t just a charity, it’s a community with a long history of resilience and mutual support. And as the generation affected by polio ages, the need for that support is only growing. We shouldn’t let their voices be drowned out simply because the virus itself is no longer front-page news.

For more information or support, call the BPF Support Services team on 0800 043 1935 or 01923 589991 (Monday to Friday 10am – 3pm).

Irish News.

Download • 1.04MB