We have seen major advances in acute medical care for those with severe traumatic and neurological injuries over the last 20 years, or so, leading to the saving of lives which would not otherwise have been possible. However, the follow-up treatment and rehabilitation available in the public sector hasn’t kept pace, so it is good to see proposed new guidelines to address the variation across the country to access and approach to rehabilitation.
The benefits of rehabilitation after a neurological injury are well known: it can improve functional skills, independence, and quality of life by addressing physical, cognitive, and emotional challenges. It can help individuals regain lost abilities, adapt to new challenges, and maximise their potential for a better quality of life.
We can help individuals with neurological injuries, such as spinal cord or brachial plexus injury, regain motor skills, improve movement, and reduce pain, allowing for greater mobility and independence in daily activities. Cognitive rehabilitation therapies for those with brain injury can address memory, attention, and problem-solving difficulties, helping individuals improve their cognitive abilities and participate more fully in daily life. Speech and language therapy can address communication difficulties, such as speaking, reading, and writing, helping individuals regain their ability to communicate effectively.
Rehabilitation helps individuals regain independence in activities of daily living, such as dressing, bathing, and cooking, allowing them to manage their daily routines more effectively, and often includes psychological support, helping individuals cope with the emotional and psychological effects of their injury, such as depression or anxiety.
By addressing physical and cognitive limitations, rehabilitation can help individuals reintegrate into their communities and participate in social activities, return to work or education, providing them with training and support to find or maintain employment.
For individuals we work with whose neurological injuries have been suffered in an accident or as a result of medical negligence, we can often source funding for rehabilitation to address physical, cognitive, and emotional challenges, which can lead to a better quality of life. For those not able to make a claim, they may not have the funds to access to private rehabilitation and have to rely on the NHS which may not offer the service needed, may have long waiting times, or access may be limited by funding and resource constraints.
The draft guidelines to address the issues with long-term neurological injuries and conditions are long overdue and we await with anticipation the final guideline, expected to publish later this year.
New draft guidelines have been published to address the issue of millions of people in England living with long-term neurological conditions who have inconsistent access to vital rehabilitation services.