[How good is our social network?--Experiences with referral and admission of paraplegic patients in Germany].

The care of patients with spinal cord injury is regarded as well organized in the FRG. Nevertheless one can state that by lack of bed-capacity in our SCIC the social service is insufficient. Recent cases often cannot be admitted immediately. Patients getting their impairment by diseases cannot be treated all, because there is few capacity left. Life-long care--demanded since the time of Sir L. Guttmann--today is an utopia. Increasing capacity for treatment of patients in hospital and after discharge is necessary.