Acquired Brain Injury (Hansard, 5 February 2001)

§ Ms Blears
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what support his Department offers to people with acquired brain injury; [147954]
(2) what percentage and number of those with acquired brain injury are provided with rehabilitation services; [147966]
(3) what plans he has to help individuals with acquired brain injury back into work; [147955]
(4) what percentage of people with brain injury are provided with rehabilitation services. [147972]

§ Mr.Denham
Support and treatment depends on the extent of the injury and can, where appropriate, include specialised rehabilitation. The aim of treatment is, wherever possible, to restore the person to the state of health they enjoyed before the injury happened. Our policy is that all patients who need rehabilitation services should have access to them.

§ Ms Blears
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he gives to local health, employment and social services in Greater Manchester on funding for vocational rehabilitation for individuals with acquired brain injury. [147956]

§ Mr. Denham
We do not give individual guidance to local health, employment and social services on what services to provide for their populations. Health authorities in partnership with primary care groups/trusts and other local stakeholders are responsible for assessing the health needs of their populations and commissioning services to meet those needs.

§ Ms Blears
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of people with acquired brain injury do not walk again. [147967]

§ Mr. Denham
Around 1 million people a year receive a head injury in the United Kingdom and some 100,000 of those attend hospital. Each year at least 2,000 adults suffer permanent serious impairments. We do not keep statistics, however, on whether patients are left unable to walk as a result of their injury.

§ Ms Blears
To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what is the average age of a person diagnosed with acquired brain injury; [147965]
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(2) what the average age is of a person diagnosed with a brain injury. [147969]

§ Mr. Denham
We do not analyse the incidence of brain injury by age. However, a 1999 report from the Royal College of Surgeons, on the management of head injury, found that around half of the people who attend hospital with a head injury are under 16 years of age.

§ Mr. Woolas
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what financial support his Department offers to people with acquired brain injury in Greater Manchester; and if he will make a statement. [147970]

§ Mr.Denham
We do not provide funding for individual patients. It is for health authorities, in partnership with primary care groups/trusts and other local stakeholders, to determine how best to use their funds to meet national and local priorities for improving health, tackling health inequalities and modernising services.