Submitted by John on 25 Mar 2022 - 8:08am
Executive summary
This call for evidence will inform the development of the government’s acquired brain injury strategy. Rather than a formal consultation on specific proposals, it constitutes a request for ideas on which we can build. It will run for a period of 12 weeks and is open to everyone aged 16 and over. You can respond as an individual or on behalf of an organisation.
The easiest way to participate in the call for evidence is to complete the online survey.
An easy read version of the call for evidence is available
Acquired brain injury call for evidence (easy read) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
The call for evidence closes at 11.45pm on 6 June 2022.
Joint foreword from the Minister of State for Care and Mental Health, Gillian Keegan, and the MP for Rhondda, Chris Bryant
We know that acquired brain injury (ABI) can have a devastating impact on an individual, with its impact felt across many aspects of their life. As well as the health impact, it affects family life, it can disrupt close relationships, it can make employment more difficult and it can severely damage an individual’s personal finances. Even minor head injuries can cause short-term impairment and repeated minor injuries can do long-lasting harm. Those living with more severe ABI are likely to have complex long-term problems affecting their cognitive and functional abilities, personality, close relationships and ability to return to an independent life.
Our ambition is to prevent brain injuries wherever possible and to achieve a step change in the care and support available to people living with an ABI, so that they have the chance to regain the fullest possible quality of life.
We know that many people living with complex long-term health conditions, such as an ABI, need support from a range of services. We are committed to supporting all people living with an ABI and we recognise that by working collaboratively and having a cross-departmental approach we can strengthen the support that people receive from statutory services.
We are pleased to launch this call for evidence so that we can hear first-hand from the people most affected by ABI, including individuals who have a brain injury and those close to them. We are also extending this opportunity to organisations, researchers and other professionals who can provide further valuable insight and who are often important advocates of the needs of this community. Your views and experiences will help us to ensure that we prioritise the actions needed and learn from examples of current and best practice.
We want you to tell us what support or services you would like to see improve, what is good already and what other information and support you would like to see made available. We would also like to hear whether you think that support or services for people living with ABI could also improve support for people living with other neurological conditions.
Gillian Keegan MP
Chris Bryant MP
Acquired brain injury strategy
An acquired brain injury is defined as a non-degenerative injury to the brain occurring since birth. The term ‘acquired brain injury’ includes both traumatic and non-traumatic brain injuries.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an injury to the brain caused by a trauma to the head (head injury). There are many possible causes including:
- road traffic accidents
- assaults
- falls and accidents at home or at work
Non-traumatic brain injuries can be caused by a wide range of situations, such as:
- strokes and other vascular accidents, tumours
- infectious diseases
- hypoxia
- metabolic disorders (for example, liver and kidney diseases or diabetic coma)
- toxic products taken into the body through inhalation or ingestion
The government is committed to supporting all people living with an acquired brain injury and those living with other neurological conditions and seeks to prevent acquired brain injuries wherever possible.
On 2 December 2021 the government committed to publishing an acquired brain injury strategy.
The Department of Health and Social Care is leading cross-government work to develop the strategy. This call for evidence is asking stakeholders nationwide, including healthcare professionals, people living with an acquired brain injury, their families and carers, to put forward their views on what should be prioritised within the strategy.
NOTE FROM MATRIX NEUROLOGICAL
This is an important piece of research and Acquired Brain Injuries are being recognised and addressed by Government for the first time in the United Kingdom.
If you know of any person who has sustained an acquired brain injury, (which does not include Dementia, Stroke, Autism, Learning Disability), please ask them to complete the survey form. We cannot stress enough how important their views are.
