Brain injury survivors ‘fear for future’ due to lost rehab

More than half of brain injury survivors have lost access to rehabilitation services as a result of lockdown measures and now fear for their futures, according to the study.

Peter McCabe, Chief Executive of Headway, said: “The results of this study are deeply concerning. The first two years following a brain injury are very important in terms of a patient’s long-term prognosis and any delay to receiving specialist rehabilitation can impact their ability to lead an independent life in the future.

“Local Headway groups and branches across the UK are going to extraordinary lengths to ensure help remains available to vulnerable individuals and families during the lockdown. Without this help, the figures reported in our study would no doubt have been much worse.

“However, with local authorities under increasing financial pressure, local charities are facing an uphill battle to survive, exacerbating survivors’ fears for the future.

“Unless the government provides local authorities with adequate funding for community-based rehabilitation services, thousands of brain injury survivors and carers will either be left without support or be forced to rely on more costly state-funded care.”