Chloe Boobier, 30, said it was ‘a blessing’ to wake up in the ward she worked on after she was hit by a black cab
06:22, 24 Nov 2025Updated 06:22, 24 Nov 2025
Chloe Boobier ended up as a patient on the very trauma ward she worked (Image: Day One Trauma Support/SWNS)
An NHS worker ended up as a patient on the very trauma ward she worked in after being seriously injured in a collision with a taxi.
Chloe Boobier, 30, suffered catastrophic injuries, including a broken spine, pelvis and shoulder, when she was hit by a black cab while walking outside Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading after a shift.
Chloe, from Acton, London, woke up hours later on Royal Berkshire Hospital’s orthopaedic and trauma ward – where she worked as a physiotherapist.
Speaking for the first time about the incident, she said: “I’d just finished a long shift, stepped out of the hospital and onto the pedestrian crossing when a black taxi hit me.
“From that moment, I don’t remember much. I remember lying on the floor, then being given morphine, and after that, it’s all a blur. woke up on the trauma orthopaedic ward, the very ward I worked on.
“The people I’d been at the pub with just a few days before were suddenly the ones helping me wash, move, even use the toilet. It was the strangest thing, but in a way, it was also a blessing.
“It was 2021, during one of the COVID waves, and visitors weren’t allowed, so having my colleagues and friends around me meant I wasn’t completely alone.
“My injuries were serious: I broke my shoulder, which needed surgery and is now held together with metal. I fractured my spine and pelvis in three places. I damaged my elbow and wrist, sprained my ankle, and was covered in cuts and bruises.”
Chloe Boobier works as a physiotherapist within an Amputee Rehab Clinic (Image: Day One Trauma Support/SWNS)
Chloe, who was 25 when she was injured in February 2021, spent weeks in hospital recovering before moving back in with her mum Michelle in Bristol. She left hospital needing to use a wheelchair and her mum became her carer for several months.
She added: “Being out of hospital but not back to normal life was one of the scariest times. Doctors warned I might always need an aid to walk and might never return to the job I loved. Mum was great and helped me with everything.
“We went into survival mode as she helped my move, wash and cut up my food. It was hard being dependent on her again as an adult.”
“It was really terrifying. You’re out of hospital, but you’re nowhere near living a normal life. You’re not working, not seeing friends, just eating, sleeping, and getting through the day.”
She said she started to rebuild step-by-step – and is now planning to run the London Marathon next year.
Chloe shared her story to launch a Christmas Appeal from the charity Day One Trauma Support to help other major trauma survivors.
Chloe Boobier left hospital needing to use a wheelchair(Image: Day One Trauma Support/SWNS)
She said her and her mum had been terrified about their future and feared she may never live independently again. But due to Chloe’s job within major trauma, she was already aware of charity Day One Trauma Support, who were able to provide the family with practical and emotional support to navigate their recovery.
Now, four years on, Chloe is back walking and working as a physiotherapist within the Amputee Rehab Clinic at Charing Cross Hospital, on Fulham Palace Road, London.
She said: “I’m now in a place I never thought I’d reach. I still do weekly rehab, but I’m running again, something that felt impossible back then.
“Training is tough, but every time I get out there, I remember those first months when I couldn’t even manage a step between rooms without help.”
Day One provides practical, emotional and financial support to seriously injured people through it’s national support line and caseworkers based in some Major Trauma Centres.
Chloe Boobier before her accident in 2021(Image: Day One Trauma Support/SWNS)
The charity hopes to raise at least £30,000 to ensure people aren’t left to cope on their own this Christmas after suffering life-changing injuries.
Jen Murgatroyd, Director of Fundraising and Communications at Day One Trauma Support, said: “We’re so grateful to Chloe and her family for sharing their story with us.
“A powerful reminder that major trauma can happen to anyone, even those working within trauma care.
“With trauma wards especially busy at Christmas and demand for our support up by 40%, more people impacted by life-changing injuries need our help. If you’re able to donate to our Christmas Appeal, you’ll ensure they get the specialist support they urgently need.”