Serious Injury News Roundup

It’s been a busy few months for our specialist brain injury solicitor and partner Paul Brown who, outside of work, supports many serious injury related charities and organisations. Recently, as the secretary of UKABIF (UK Acquired Brain Injury Forum) he has been active in campaigning for the Acquired Brain Injury Bill and Strategy and as chairman of local brain injury charity Headway Wearside, he attended the 10-year anniversary Look Ahead in the North event.

Acquired Brain Injury Strategy

Following the Time for Change campaign in parliament and the work of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Acquired Brain Injury and Acquired Brain Injury Strategy is being formed and is currently undergoing a call for evidence. Paul has been very active in championing the previous Acquired Brain Injury Bill and calling for a strategy to ensure better access to neuro-rehab resources for brain injury survivors.

In his position as secretary of UKABIF (UK Acquired Brain Injury Forum) Paul is quoted as saying: “Through the role I have with my clients who have legal claims, I fully appreciate the benefit the additional rehab and treatment can have, but sadly that is not available to everyone. In terms of provision, too often we have two levels – we see the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ and that is not fair. There is very much a postcode lottery when it comes to community services.”

Read the full Neuro Rehab Times article here.

The Call for Evidence survey will provide an opportunity for the Strategy Programme Board to hear first-hand from the people most affected to help find out what services are needed, where there may be gaps, and how the government can support services to help fill these.

Have your say in the Call for Evidence here. If you require further information, contact ABIcallforevidence@dhsc.gov.uk

Headway Look Ahead in the North Weekend

As the chairman of Headway Wearside Paul recently attended the 10-year anniversary of their Look Ahead in the North event which unites brain injury survivors and their support networks for a three-day outdoors activity residential at Calvert Trust in Kielder Forest.

Postponed since 2020, Paul said of the event: “It [also] plays a very important role in peer support, which is what Headway is all about. Survivors and family members are all going through similar issues and experiences in their lives following brain injury, and finding others who share those and can relate to that is very valuable. Look Ahead in the North provides a great opportunity to do that, in an informal and fun environment. It is always a brilliant event, and one which has been greatly missed, so it was fantastic to see its return.”

Read the full Neuro Rehab Times article here.

This momentum is set to carry on into May where we will be raising awareness for survivors of serious injury through the Hats for Headway campaign, Action For Brain Injury Week and Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Day. You can find out more information about Paul here. Paul can be contacted on hello@burnetts.co.uk and 01228 552222