Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking following hospital discharge to ensure the adequate provision of rehabilitation for patients with head injuries.

The Government wants a society where every person, including those with a long-term condition such as an acquired brain injury (ABI), receives high-quality, compassionate continuity of care.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is currently developing the guidance Rehabilitation for chronic neurological disorders including acquired brain injury, which is expected to be published in September 2025. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/indevelopment/gid-ng10181

NHS England is in the process of updating its Specialised Neurology service specification, the revised version of which will cover ABI.

The former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention met the original proponent of the ABI strategy, Sir Chris Bryant MP, at the end of 2024 to discuss ABIs, and had a very fruitful discussion about what might be achievable in the both the short and longer term. Sir Chris remains a huge advocate for those that have suffered an ABI, and the Department fully agrees with him that the Government should, and importantly will, do more.

The Department and NHS England are keen to showcase those areas that have effectively integrated post-hospital care and support, including rehabilitation, to other areas where patients are not getting the care and support they deserve.

A decision on next steps on ABI at the national level will be taken in due course. More broadly, our 10-Year Health Plan will deliver three big shifts, from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention. More tests and scans delivered in the community, better joint working between services, and greater use of apps and wearable technology will all help people manage their long-term conditions, including ABI, closer to home.