Each year, 335,000 people are admitted to hospital with an acquired brain injury — that’s nearly 1,000 every single day! Yet what causes so much harm and brings so many heartaches remains widely misunderstood.
As the leading cause of death and disability among people under 40 in the UK, acquired brain injury (ABI) has long warranted the full attention of policymakers across all areas of government.
In South Holland and The Deepings, we are fortunate to have some excellent facilities, such as the Bungalow Care Home in Spalding, which provides dedicated care for individuals with ABI. Alongside this, the charity Headway Lincolnshire plays a vital role in offering support and guidance to individuals and families affected by ABI. Notwithstanding these valuable services, more needs to be done to meet the growing demand for comprehensive support for those affected in our community.
Surviving a head injury itself is just the beginning; the real challenge unfolds in the days, months, and years that follow, as individuals and their families struggle to navigate a fragmented and underfunded system of rehabilitation.
With an estimated 1.3 million living with the long-term effects of ABI, the human and economic toll is staggering. The estimated cost to the UK economy is at least £43 billion annually; however, this just scratches the surface of the real cost. The true loss ought to be measured in lives disrupted; parents seeing their child’s personality change overnight; carers stretched to their limits with no respite, and individuals dismissed because their symptoms are “mild” and therefore unworthy of assistance. When less obvious, but just as devastating effects are included, the total genuine cost soars to an estimated £91.5 billion.
Behind the dryness of statistics lies real lives altered. Take the story of Annie Ricketts, once a successful businesswoman, who, after being failed by the health and social care system, was helpless, homeless and living in her car.
No such failures are inevitable. The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Acquired Brain Injury, which I am proud to Chair, knows what needs to be done. The Ministry of Defence already guarantees the Right to Rehabilitation for injured military personnel, with the results clear - shorter recovery times, better outcomes, and restored lives. Now this entitlement should be extended beyond a few to the many who would benefit. We must establish a national neurorehabilitation framework which guarantees that access to specialist care is not a lottery, but a certain path to recovery. To do so necessitates a national policy that supports the immediate and long-term rehabilitation of those living with acquired or traumatic brain injuries.
This new approach would save money and save futures, too, because high-quality rehabilitation reduces the risk of homelessness, addiction, and the drift into lawlessness. It also allows people to return to work, contribute to the economy, and with personal esteem restored, rebuild their wellbeing and rejoin their communities with dignity and pride.
Seven years ago, my APPG called for timely and specialist intervention. Since, too little has changed. So now, with our publication of The Cost of Acquired Brain Injury to the UK Economy: Their Right to Rehab, we need prompt, decisive Government action to dismantle the institutional barriers which obstruct coordinated care.
I know this because more than 40 years ago, like so many other young people, I suffered a serious head injury. Having since achieved all I aimed to and more, it is my hope-filled belief that recovery, rehabilitation, and renewal, should not depend on good fortune, but good policy. It is my determination to turn hope into reality.