Just a few days ahead of the scheduled second reading of Chris Bryant’s Private Members’ Bill about ‘meeting the needs of adults and children with an acquired brain injury’ in December last year, the government announced its intention to start devising a national, cross-departmental, strategy for the support of people with acquired brain injury (ABI).
There has been a call for evidence, with stakeholders including charities such as Headway (with which Shoosmiths works very closely) invited to share their views about what support should be prioritised. The call for evidence is more of a request for ideas than a formal consultation on specific proposals, but in effect, the government is now doing precisely what the Private Members' Bill called for.
However, Sharine Burgess, a partner specialising in serious personal injury cases who is active in the ABIF Northants (Acquired Brain Injury Forum), stresses that in order to make the development of the national strategy as effective and relevant as possible, as well as those formal bodies, the views of people who have lived experience of dealing with ABI are also essential. She says:
“There has never been a cohesive national strategy across all government departments. I would encourage people to take part in the consultation process. This is a unique opportunity to get the needs of brain injury survivors, their families and carers to the top of the Whitehall agenda and keep up the pressure for improving services across the board.”
The call for evidence closes at 11.45pm on 6 June 2022 and the easiest way to participate is to complete the government online survey.
Disclaimer
This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. It is recommended that specific professional advice is sought before acting on any of the information given. © Shoosmiths LLP 2024
