South Holland and the Deepings MP Sir John Hayes recently launched a landmark report in Parliament entitled Right to Rehab: The Costs of Acquired Brain Injury to the UK Economy.
As Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Acquired Brain Injury, Sir John worked in partnership with the UK Acquired Brain Injury Forum (UKABIF), exposing the staggering £43 billion annual cost of acquired brain injury (ABI) to the UK economy — equivalent to 1.5% of GDP — and called for urgent government action.
At the launch event in the House of Commons, Sir John met with individuals living with brain injuries and heard their powerful and inspiring testimonies.
“The people I met in Parliament were representative of the extraordinary stoicism those living with brain injuries showcase,” Sir John said.
“They do not want sympathy — they merely ask that the Government do the right thing and embrace a national policy that supports and funds the immediate and long-term rehabilitation of those living with acquired or traumatic brain injuries. I have raised this personally with the Health Secretary Wes Streeting, and will seek a formal meeting with him to show him this landmark report and its recommendations.”
The report’s headline recommendation is the introduction of a statutory right to rehab, along with a cross-government acquired brain injury strategy, and the establishment of a cross-Whitehall standing committee.
