Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how the Government’s upcoming Acquired Brain Injury Action Plan will improve data recording and data access relating to brain injury survivors.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We expect to publish the Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) Action Plan in the first half of 2026. This will allow time to ensure the plan is in line with our 10-Year Health Plan and is robust, action-oriented, and reflects emerging priorities across health, social care, and other relevant sectors.
The plan is designed to take a cross-Government approach and will cover several key areas to improve outcomes for people living with ABI. We are working with Government departments with responsibility for education, justice, housing and homelessness, work and benefits, transport, sport, and defence on the plan.
The plan will ensure more consistent and comprehensive data gathering, alongside better mechanisms for sharing and accessing information. These improvements will support integrated care, inform commissioning decisions, and strengthen evidence-based policy development.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what policy areas are in the scope of the upcoming acquired brain injury action plan.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We expect to publish the Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) Action Plan in the first half of 2026. This will allow time to ensure the plan is in line with our 10-Year Health Plan and is robust, action-oriented, and reflects emerging priorities across health, social care, and other relevant sectors.
The plan is designed to take a cross-Government approach and will cover several key areas to improve outcomes for people living with ABI. We are working with Government departments with responsibility for education, justice, housing and homelessness, work and benefits, transport, sport, and defence on the plan.
The plan will ensure more consistent and comprehensive data gathering, alongside better mechanisms for sharing and accessing information. These improvements will support integrated care, inform commissioning decisions, and strengthen evidence-based policy development.
Asked by: Saqib Bhatti (Conservative - Meriden and Solihull East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department will publish the Acquired Brain Injury Action plan.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We expect to publish the Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) Action Plan in the first half of 2026. This will allow time to ensure the plan is in line with our 10-Year Health Plan and is robust, action-oriented, and reflects emerging priorities across health, social care, and other relevant sectors.
The plan is designed to take a cross-Government approach and will cover several key areas to improve outcomes for people living with ABI. We are working with Government departments with responsibility for education, justice, housing and homelessness, work and benefits, transport, sport, and defence on the plan.
The plan will ensure more consistent and comprehensive data gathering, alongside better mechanisms for sharing and accessing information. These improvements will support integrated care, inform commissioning decisions, and strengthen evidence-based policy development.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what evaluation has been undertaken of access to specialist educational provision for children with acquired brain injuries; and whether additional support is planned for emerging specialist schools such as those in Stockton-on-Tees.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Children who have had a brain injury can be affected in different ways. Some brain injuries will result in a special educational need (SEN) or a medical need, whilst others may affect a child in other ways. In whatever way a brain injury manifests, it is essential that the pupil’s individual needs are identified and supported appropriately.
Schools must make arrangements to support their pupils with medical conditions and must make reasonable adjustments to their practices, procedures and policies and not discriminate against their disabled pupils.
The governing body should ensure that sufficient staff have received suitable training and are competent before they take on responsibility to support children with medical conditions. They should also ensure that any members of school staff who provide support to pupils with medical conditions, or those with SEN, are able to access information and other teaching support materials as needed.
Mainstream schools must use their best endeavours to meet the special educational needs of their pupils, which includes those with acquired brain injury. Where needs are more complex the school may request the local authority to conduct an education, health and care needs assessment.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps are being taken to improve early identification of cognitive, behavioural, and emotional needs arising from acquired brain injury in children, particularly within school settings.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Children who have had a brain injury can be affected in different ways. Some brain injuries will result in a special educational need (SEN) or a medical need, whilst others may affect a child in other ways. In whatever way a brain injury manifests, it is essential that the pupil’s individual needs are identified and supported appropriately.
Schools must make arrangements to support their pupils with medical conditions and must make reasonable adjustments to their practices, procedures and policies and not discriminate against their disabled pupils.
The governing body should ensure that sufficient staff have received suitable training and are competent before they take on responsibility to support children with medical conditions. They should also ensure that any members of school staff who provide support to pupils with medical conditions, or those with SEN, are able to access information and other teaching support materials as needed.
Mainstream schools must use their best endeavours to meet the special educational needs of their pupils, which includes those with acquired brain injury. Where needs are more complex the school may request the local authority to conduct an education, health and care needs assessment.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment has been made of the adequacy of training for teachers and education support staff on recognising and supporting pupils with acquired brain injuries.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Children who have had a brain injury can be affected in different ways. Some brain injuries will result in a special educational need (SEN) or a medical need, whilst others may affect a child in other ways. In whatever way a brain injury manifests, it is essential that the pupil’s individual needs are identified and supported appropriately.
Schools must make arrangements to support their pupils with medical conditions and must make reasonable adjustments to their practices, procedures and policies and not discriminate against their disabled pupils.
The governing body should ensure that sufficient staff have received suitable training and are competent before they take on responsibility to support children with medical conditions. They should also ensure that any members of school staff who provide support to pupils with medical conditions, or those with SEN, are able to access information and other teaching support materials as needed.
Mainstream schools must use their best endeavours to meet the special educational needs of their pupils, which includes those with acquired brain injury. Where needs are more complex the school may request the local authority to conduct an education, health and care needs assessment.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the longest inpatient stays were for mental health patients in each age group discharged in 2025.
Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The information requested for the latest available period (1 January to 30 June 2025) is in the table below. Counts below 5 are suppressed using an asterisk.
Age Band at Discharge | Bed Type at Discharge1 | Total Number of Discharges | Longest hospital stay (days)2 |
0 to 17 | Child and Young Person Learning Disabilities | 945 | 2,968 |
0 to 17 | Unknown3 | 400 | 2,385 |
0 to 17 | Acute Mental Health Unit for Adults with a Learning Disability and/or Autism | * | 2,033 |
0 to 17 | General Child and Young Person Young Person (13 years up to and including 17 years) | 930 | 853 |
0 to 17 | Child and Young Person Low Secure Mental Illness | * | 699 |
0 to 17 | Eating Disorders Child and Young Person | 135 | 662 |
0 to 17 | General Child and Young Person Child (up to and including 12 years) | 240 | 609 |
0 to 17 | Child and Young Person Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit | 110 | 563 |
0 to 17 | Adult Low Secure | 5 | 392 |
0 to 17 | Adult Eating Disorders | * | 200 |
0 to 17 | Child Mental Health Services for the Deaf | * | 114 |
0 to 17 | Acute Adult Mental Health Care | 30 | 59 |
0 to 17 | Child and Young Person Medium Secure Mental Illness | * | 43 |
0 to 17 | Adult Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (Acute Mental Health Care) | * | 42 |
0 to 17 | Adult Mental Health Rehabilitation (Mainstream Service) | 5 | 4 |
0 to 17 | Adult Neuro-Psychiatry / Acquired Brain Injury | 10 | 3 |
18 to 64 | Adult High Secure | 55 | 10,514 |
18 to 64 | Adult Medium Secure | 380 | 7,897 |
18 to 64 | Adult Mental Health Rehabilitation (Mainstream Service) | 1,360 | 6,785 |
18 to 64 | Unknown3 | 2,950 | 6,666 |
18 to 64 | Acute Mental Health Unit for Adults with a Learning Disability and/or Autism | 730 | 6,199 |
18 to 64 | Adult Low Secure | 420 | 5,916 |
18 to 64 | Acute Older Adult Mental Health Care (Organic and Functional) | 555 | 5,381 |
18 to 64 | Adult Neuro-Psychiatry / Acquired Brain Injury | 160 | 5,250 |
18 to 64 | Acute Adult Mental Health Care | 30,905 | 3,920 |
18 to 64 | Adult Mental Health Rehabilitation for Adults with a Learning Disability and/or Autism (Specialist Service) | 155 | 3,763 |
18 to 64 | Child and Young Person Learning Disabilities | 30 | 2,956 |
18 to 64 | Adult Personality Disorder | 10 | 2,701 |
18 to 64 | Adult Mental Health Services for the Deaf | 20 | 1,892 |
18 to 64 | Eating Disorders Child and Young Person | 35 | 1,538 |
18 to 64 | General Child and Young Person Child (up to and including 12 years) | * | 1,414 |
18 to 64 | Adult Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (Acute Mental Health Care) | 2,580 | 1,181 |
18 to 64 | Adult Eating Disorders | 390 | 943 |
18 to 64 | Child and Young Person Low Secure Mental Illness | 5 | 876 |
18 to 64 | General Child and Young Person Young Person (13 years up to and including 17 years) | 35 | 693 |
18 to 64 | Child and Young Person Medium Secure Mental Illness | * | 600 |
18 to 64 | Mother and Baby | 465 | 285 |
18 to 64 | Severe Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Body Dysmorphic Disorder - Young Person | 5 | 245 |
18 to 64 | Child and Young Person Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit | 10 | 188 |
65+ | Adult Mental Health Rehabilitation (Mainstream Service) | 195 | 8,768 |
65+ | Adult Low Secure | 20 | 6,361 |
65+ | Adult Neuro-Psychiatry / Acquired Brain Injury | 45 | 6,167 |
65+ | Acute Older Adult Mental Health Care (Organic and Functional) | 5,705 | 5,671 |
65+ | Adult Medium Secure | 15 | 4,960 |
65+ | Acute Mental Health Unit for Adults with a Learning Disability and/or Autism | 15 | 2,606 |
65+ | Acute Adult Mental Health Care | 1,055 | 1,832 |
65+ | Adult Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (Acute Mental Health Care) | 30 | 1,576 |
65+ | Unknown3 | 125 | 1,195 |
65+ | Adult Mental Health Services for the Deaf | * | 534 |
65+ | Adult Mental Health Rehabilitation for Adults with a Learning Disability and/or Autism (Specialist Service) | 5 | 514 |
65+ | Severe Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Body Dysmorphic Disorder - Young Person | * | 310 |
65+ | Adult Eating Disorders | 10 | 260 |
65+ | General Child and Young Person Child (up to and including 12 years) | * | - |
Data source: Mental Health Services Dataset, NHS England
1 Bed type is the bed that the patient was in when they were discharged.
2 The length of stay is the patient’s total length of stay during the hospital spell.
3 Where a patient’s bed type is not recorded or cannot be matched to a valid value, the bed type is recorded as unknown.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will list the organisations his Department has consulted on its upcoming acquired brain injury action plan.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I attended the UK Acquired Brain Injury Forum’s (UKABIF’s) annual summit in Manchester on 3 November 2025, where I discussed our forthcoming acquired brain injury (ABI) plan with a number of stakeholders, patients with lived experience and healthcare professionals with a specialist interest in ABI.
The Government’s ABI action plan will be published in the first half of 2026. It will be a landmark step in delivering the joined-up approach that people with ABI deserve.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department intends to publish the acquired brain injury action plan.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I attended the UK Acquired Brain Injury Forum’s (UKABIF’s) annual summit in Manchester on 3 November 2025, where I discussed our forthcoming acquired brain injury (ABI) plan with a number of stakeholders, patients with lived experience and healthcare professionals with a specialist interest in ABI.
The Government’s ABI action plan will be published in the first half of 2026. It will be a landmark step in delivering the joined-up approach that people with ABI deserve.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking support patients with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), and what assessment he has made of the potential merits of establishing a pathway of care and treatment from diagnosis of FND.
Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
In August, NHS England updated the Specialised Neurology Service Specification, which is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/specialised-neurology-services-adults/
The updated service specification includes specific reference to functional neurological disorder (FND). It states that all specialised neurology centres must include access to treatment services for FND. Service specifications are important in clearly defining the standards of care expected from organisations funded by NHS England to provide specialised care.
In October 2025, the National Institute for Care Excellence (NICE) published guidance on rehabilitation for chronic neurological disorders, including acquired brain injury, with the reference code NG252. This guidance includes FND within its scope.
There are also a number of other national-level initiatives supporting service improvement and better care for patients with neurological conditions, including FND, such as the Getting It Right First Time Programme for Neurology and the Neurology Transformation Programme, which aim to improve care for people by reducing variation and delivering care more equitably across England.
There are a number of policies outlined in the 10-Year Health Plan which should have a positive impact on care for patients with FND. More tests and scans delivered in the community, better joint working between services, and greater use of technology will all support people to manage FND closer to home.