Academics welcome parliamentary debate into national acquired brain injury action plan

A debate is being held in Westminster Hall into the potential merits of the Government developing a comprehensive acquired brain injury action plan.
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Academics welcome parliamentary debate into national acquired brain injury action plan

A debate is being held in Westminster Hall into the potential merits of the Government developing a comprehensive acquired brain injury action plan.
Researchers working to highlight the hidden costs of acquired brain injuries – both to individuals and the economy – have welcomed news that the issue is to be debated in the Houses of Parliament.
A debate will be into the potential merits of the Government developing a comprehensive acquired brain injury action plan.
It comes after a report in May found that investing in specialist rehabilitation services could save the NHS and social services nearly £20 billion per year in acute care, longer term and social care costs – while the total hidden toll of brain injury could cost the economy £43 billion a year.
The Right to Rehab report, commissioned by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Acquired Brain Injury and charity UKABIF (the UK Acquired Brain Injury Forum), considered the economic impact of acquired brain injuries (ABI) including traumatic brain injuries, stroke and brain tumours.
Among those to contribute to it were Dr Alyson Norman , Associate Professor in Psychology at the 91porn, and Dr Hope Kent, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Exeter.
They subsequently highlighted the key findings at meetings of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Acquired Brain Injury over the summer, with the Government making a commitment to develop an ABI action plan.
The first parliamentary debate to discuss has now been scheduled and will be led by Conservative MP Sir John Hayes, who chairs All-Party Parliamentary Group on Acquired Brain Injury.
Dr Norman, a trustee of UKABIF and a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group, has considerable experience in studying brain injuries and visible differences and her work was cited in new neurological rehabilitation guidelines released by NICE (the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) in October 2025. She also has a personal connection to the issue as her brother Dave took his own life after a series of brain injuries.

This is clearly a serious issue but for too long it hasn’t been treated that way.

There is still a belief in many quarters that brain injury is a niche problem despite the costs to the UK economy highlighted in the report this year, and it being the leading cause of death and disability in people under 40. Work on a national acquired brain injury strategy was started in 2022 but it has faced numerous problems, not least a change of government. We are encouraging all MPs to attend the debate as a demonstration that this needs to be pushed more forcefully. My hope is that this debate will help the government to understand more clearly what the strategy needs to address, and lead to a stronger commitment from the Government to move forward with the action plan as a matter of urgency.

Alyson NormanDr Alyson Norman
Associate Head of School for Teaching, Learning, Quality and Student Experience

Dr Kent’s research focuses on how people are marginalised across our education, health, and social care systems. Her current projects include tracking outcomes for children with Acquired Brain Injury in schools (from exclusion and absences to serious mental health difficulties) and she is also examining SEND provision for children with ABIs. She said:
“We know that people with ABI are disproportionately represented among those on the margins of society, including people in the criminal justice system, and people who are homeless or experiencing housing instability. This over-representation is not because brain injury dictates a particular life course, but because too many people are navigating systems without their needs being understood. I am interested in how we can ensure greater recognition of acquired brain injury in schools, to make sure children receive the right support at the right time. Many children with ABI work incredibly hard to cope with cognitive and emotional difficulties that are often misunderstood. When schools are better equipped to identify these needs, they can put in place the adjustments that help children to stay engaged, learn effectively and feel understood. The ABI Action Plan is a real opportunity to strengthen recognition across our education, health, justice, and social care services, enabling much earlier and more effective support, and creating better life chances for people with ABI.”
 
Staff portrait of Lecturer in Psychology Alyson Norman
 

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