Societal and Economic Impact of Brain Injury

By Alyson Norman

On Monday 10th February a team of researchers and experts by experience from the NIHR funded Heads Together project ran an online webinar for policy makers across the UK to come together and discuss the societal and economic impact of acquired brain injury. The event was attended by 44 people. The day consisted of outlining the journey that people with ABI go through after injury, through hospital services and into the community. The focus was on where the gaps in provision exists, where better support is needed and acknowledgement of the important role family members play in recovery and the ongoing need to include them in conversations around care packages as well as considering their own wellbeing and mental health needs.

Throughout the day, attendees were given the opportunity to test their own knowledge of brain injury and to provide feedback on where they thought difficulties with service provision lay. As the figure below shows, attendees stated that the two key points of learning they had gained were around the need for a person-centred approach to care and the need for awareness of family members.

When asked to summarise the societal impact of brain injury in the UK, participants described it as ‘significant’ ‘hidden’ and ‘misunderstood’.

The event ended with attendees being asked to make a pledge about how they would attempt to do things differently in their workplaces to support people with ABI. Information sharing across organisations and about the needs of people with Abi and their families was the most common pledge stated.

This event will be followed up with another face-to-face event in April where interested parties will come together to talk about how to make a difference to services for people with brain injury and their families. For more information, or to sign up to the vent please click here.