Developed with input from local Headway charities and volunteer-led branches across Scotland, the manifesto calls on the next Scottish Parliament and Government to prioritise brain injury survivors and the lifeline services that support them.
What we’re calling for
Headway’s manifesto for the upcoming election calls for the new Scottish Parliament to:
Fix and equalise access to rehabilitation
Invest in local brain injury reablement services
Enhance care and support to improve wellbeing and independence
Strengthen brain injury understanding, awareness and data collection
Headway UK’s Policy and Public Affairs Manager, Richard Wood, said:
“Across Scotland, many brain injury survivors are facing unacceptable delays, gaps in care and growing pressure on local support services. Too often, their needs are misunderstood or overlooked.
“Headway charities and volunteer-led branches do an immense job supporting survivors, but they cannot do it alone.
“The next Scottish Government and Parliament must take decisive action to invest in local rehabilitation including vital community-based services, enhance care and support, and improve brain injury understanding and awareness.”
Why this matters
In Scotland, someone is admitted to hospital with a brain injury every 25 minutes – around 57 people a day. In 2023/24 alone, there were 20,876 admissions. Whether caused by head trauma, stroke, a brain tumour or another condition, brain injury can profoundly affect how a person thinks, feels and behaves, often for the rest of their life.
Six local Headway brain injury charities and six volunteer-led branches support survivors and families across Scotland. Together, supported by Headway UK, they deliver vital community-based services, including rehabilitation programmes, carer support, social reintegration, community outreach and respite care.
Voters in Scotland go to the polls to elect 129 MSPs on Thursday 7 May 2026.
The next Scottish Parliament must seize this moment to listen to survivors, strengthen services and deliver lasting change.
Support the manifesto
We want the next Parliament to prioritise brain injury survivors and the services they rely on. Here’s how you can help:
• Write to your MSP candidates using this template, including a copy of the manifesto and urging them to become Headway Parliamentary Champions if elected.
Download the manifesto
• The full PDF manifesto can be downloaded here
• A plain-text Word document can also be downloaded here