§ Bob RussellTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in implementing the recommendations of the Health Select Committee's Third Report of Session 2000–01, on Head Injury Rehabilitation; and if he will make a statement. [186978]
§ Dr. LadymanWe have taken various actions to improve services for patients with head injury. We commissioned the National Institute for Clinical Excellence to prepare guidelines for the triage, assessment, investigation and early management of head injuries in infants, children and adults in June 2003. The guidelines contain recommendations about when it is appropriate to admit patients to hospital following a head injury, what level of care they should receive and correct protocols for transferring patients to specialist head/brain injury units.
The British Society for Rehabilitation Medicine also published guidelines, Rehabilitation following acquired brain injury; national clinical guidelines, last December. These outline the general principles of service provision and specific advice on the clinical management of patients with acquired brain injury. The guidelines were produced to inform the national service framework (NSF) for long term conditions.
The NSF for long term conditions will focus on improving services for people with neurological conditions. It will recommend improvements in standards, care and support that will benefit everyone with a neurological condition.
We are committed to publishing the framework as soon as possible.