The Right to Rehab report, published by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Acquired Brain Injury and UKABIF, highlights the toll of brain injury across the NHS, social services and other societal impacts.
Among its key findings is a call for a statutory right to rehabilitation to help survivors rebuild their lives, with evidence showing that every £1 spent on rehab delivers up to £16 in savings when considering costs to the NHS, social care, economic productivity and costs to education and the criminal justice system.
At the heart of this recovery journey are local Headway groups, which support thousands of brain injury survivors each year with reablement, rehabilitation and emotional support. These vital charities offer lifelines to individuals navigating the often-invisible effects of brain injury – including memory loss, fatigue, personality changes and communication difficulties.
Whether helping someone relearn daily tasks, rebuild confidence, or to simply reconnect with their community, local Headway groups are instrumental in helping people regain lost independence. Yet they too are facing a crisis - the soaring cost of delivering services, alongside rising demand, is putting intense financial strain on many.
“This report makes clear that investing in neurorehabilitation is not just the right thing to do – it’s the smart thing to do,” said Headway Policy and Public Affairs Manager Richard Wood. “But too often, people fall through the cracks due to a lack of joined-up care."
“Local Headway charities step in to fill that gap, but they urgently need more sustainable funding to continue this life-changing work.”
The report estimates that up to 60% of prisoners and half of all homeless people have experienced brain trauma. It calls for a national strategy, better data collection and a cross-government approach to address the current postcode lottery in community rehabilitation.
As Brain Injury Awareness Week continues, Headway will be in parliament today (21 May 2025) and will urge policymakers to act – and to recognise the central role that local Headway charities play in rebuilding lives after brain injury.
Back
