Brain Injury

The condition
An Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) is an injury caused to the brain since birth. Several reasons causing complications following an injury include road accidents, falls, tumours, haemorrhages, and strokes

Key facts

• Each year, around 1.4 million people attend hospital Accident and Emergency units in the UK following head injury
• Around 185,000 people will be admitted because of the severity of their injury
• Approximately half of deaths in people under 40 are due to head injury
• Brain injury accounts for about thirty per cent of traumatic deaths and a higher proportion of long-term disability**
• Men are two or three times more likely to have a brain injury than women. This increases to five times more likely in the 15-29 age range
• The major causes of head injury are road traffic accidents, falls and accidents at home or at work
• As many as 75 per cent of mild brain injuries go unreported and unassessed by medical professionals

Effects

• Physical: loss of co-ordination, muscle rigidity, paralysis, epilepsy, difficulty in speaking, loss of sight, smell or taste, fatigue and sexual problems
• Cognitive: problems with memory, attention and concentration, low tolerance of noisy or stressful environments, loss of insight and initiative
• Behaviour and personality: anxiety, depression, loss of motivation, difficulty controlling anger and impulsiveness
• It is estimated that across the UK there are well over 500,000 people living with permanent disabilities as a result of head injury
• Life expectancy for brain injury survivors is normal, so people live with the effects for life
• Initial diagnosis of severity of injury is not a reliable indicator of long-term problems
• Only 45 per cent of patients with a minor head injury have made a good recovery one year after admission
• Relationships with family and friends can be placed under immense emotional strain as the person they loved may be irrevocably changed

** A head injury needs to be diagnosed by a medical professional to be classified as a brain injury

Headway UK - the brain injury association
Headway is the national charity that works to improve life after brain injury. Through its network of more than 110 groups and branches across the UK, it provides support, services and information to brain injury survivors, their families and carers, as well as to professionals in the health and legal fields

At Headway, people use insight, care, and humour to help survivors regain some quality of life through a wide range of services, including rehabilitation programmes, carer support, social re-integration, community outreach and respite care

On a national level, Headway provides a confidential helpline service that is available to anyone with a question about brain injury - from survivors and carers to students and professionals. It also produces a range of publications containing information about all aspects of brain injury, lobbies for better support and resources to be made available to people with brain injuries and works to raise awareness of brain injury and the devastating effects it can have

Headway UK
190 Bagnall Rd
Old Basford
Nottingham
NG6 8SF

Tel: 0115 924 0800
Helpline Tel: 0808 800 2244
Email: helpline@headway.org.uk
Website: www.headway.org.uk

North East Regional Coordinator
Alastair White
Tel: 0191 445 6451
Mobile: 0776 6666 015
Email: ne.regional.co-ordinator@headway.org.uk

Headway Durham & Chester Le Street
Main Contact: Alastair White
Tel: 0191 445 6451
Email: ne.regional.co-ordinator@headway.org.uk

Headway Gateshead
Main Contact - Alastair White
Tel: 0191 445 6451
Email: ne.regional.co-ordinator@headway.org.uk
Website: www.headwaygateshead.org

Headway Newcastle & North Tyneside
c/o Hadrian Court
52 Carville Road
Wallsend
Tyne and Wear
NE28 6AB

Main Contact: Alastair White
Tel: 0191 263 3607
Email: enquiries@headwaynnt.org
Website: http://www.headwaynnt.org

Headway North Northumberland
The Elder Building
56-58 Castlegate
Berwick Upon Tweed

Main Contact - John Murphy
Tel: 0792 222 4369
Email: headwaynnorthumberland@mailauth.co.uk

Headway Teesside
Main Contact - Ben Townsend
Tel: 0113 222 0024
Email: btownsend@stewartslaw.com
Website: www.headwayteesside.org.uk

Headway Tynedale
Tanners House
20 Gilesgate
Hexham
Northumberland

Main Contact - Penny Wilkinson
Tel: 01434 682 246
Email: headwaytynedale@aol.com
Website: www.headwaytynedale.com

Headway Wearside
Main Contact: Alastair White
Tel: 0191 445 6451
Email: ne.regional.co-ordinator@headway.org.uk

Brain and Spine Foundation
Brain & Spine Foundation Helpline
3.36 Canterbury Court
Kennington Park
1-3 Brixton Road
London
SW9 6DE

Tel: 0808 808 1000
Fax: 020 7793 5939
Email: helpline@brainandspine.org.uk
Website: www.brainandspine.org.uk

The Brain and Spine Foundation was founded in 1992 to help the ten million people affected by brain and spine conditions in the UK

BASIC (Brain and Spinal Injury Centre)
Brain and Spinal Injury Centre
554 Eccles New Road
Salford
M5 5AP

Tel: 0161 707 6441
Website: www.basiccharity.org.uk

BASIC is a specialist resource for people and their families in crisis following a traumatic brain injury or neurological diagnosis. This includes people recovering from severe head injury, brain haemorrhage, brain tumour and other brain-related conditions such as stroke and brain cancer

Child Brain Injury Trust

Child Brain Injury Trust
Unit 1, The Great Barn
Baynards Green Farm
Nr Bicester
Oxfordshire
OX27 7SG

Tel: 01869 341075
Email: info@cbituk.org
Website: www.childbraininjurytrust.org.uk

The Child Brain Injury Trust (CBIT) is a UK-wide charity offering support, information and training on childhood acquired brain injury

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