§ Mr. CartwrightTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his estimate of the number of patients recovering from traumatic brain injury who require inpatient rehabilitation; and how many places for such treatment are currently provided within the National Health Service.
§ Mr. MellorNo national estimate is available of the number of patients recovering from traumatic brain injury who require inpatient rehabilitation. Information about the incidence of traumatic brain injury is contained in the reports of the Royal College of Physicians on "Physical Disability in 1986 and Beyond" and the Medical Disability Society on "The Management of Traumatic Brain Injury", and we have drawn these reports to the attention of health authorities. It is for individual regional and district health authorities to assess how many of the traumatically brain-injured patients in their area require inpatient rehabilitation.
605WInformation on the number of NHS places for the inpatient rehabilitation of traumatically brain-injured patients is not available centrally.
§ Mr. CartwrightTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to encourage regional health authorities to provide inpatient rehabilitation facilities for patients recovering from the effects of traumatic brain injury.
§ Mr. MellorIn November last year, we issued guidance to health authorities on the development of services for people with physical or sensory disabilities (Health Notice (88)26, a copy of which is in the Library). This included advice to give particular attention to the rehabilitation of patients with brain injury when planning services for physically and sensorily disabled people.