§ Mr. BoswellTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what evidence his Department collates on the cost-effectiveness of rehabilitation following(a) stroke and (b) head injury among persons of working age. [48811]
§ Jacqui Smith[holding answer 17 April 2002]: We do not collate information centrally on the cost-effectiveness of rehabilitation following stroke or head injury among 374W persons of working age. Getting people back to functional independence following an accident or illness however, is a priority for the national health service. This recovery process will include access to rehabilitation services.
We are working with the Department for Work and Pensions and the Health and Safety Executive on job retention and rehabilitation pilots to test different health and employment strategies to help people with long term sickness or disability to remain in their jobs. They will start in late summer 2002 and run for two years. Job retention advisers will act early to assist those who have been forced to give up work through prolonged illness or disability to retain their skills and links with employers.