Brain Injury Sufferers not Being Supported
02/10/2007
We just wanted to say thank you. We will never be able to repay you or express how grateful we are to you for all the support and help. There would have been no one in the world that we would have had in preference to you to act for us.
John, Newcastle Upon Tyne
Thousands of brain injury sufferers in the north east are not
receiving the care and support they need, according to Headway, the
brain injury association.
The claim came after more than 120
people attended an event at St James' Park aimed at unravelling the
mysteries surrounding brain injuries and outlining the help that is
available.
Brain injury victims, their carers and healthcare
professionals were among the attendees at the sell-out event, hosted by
brain injury organisation Headway and law firm Irwin Mitchell.
Alastair
White, from Headway, said the turnout and response from people showed
there was a lot of misunderstanding about the effects of brain injuries
and the problems they can cause.
He said not nearly enough people were aware of their rights and the extent of the support that they could access.
Symptoms
of long-term brain injury can sometimes be obvious and include
paralysis, epilepsy and difficulty in speaking, but they can equally go
undetected and include loss of memory and concentration, mood swings
and depression.
Mr White said: "Brain injuries tend to slip
through the net - they are considered to be a grey area between
physical problems and mental illness and sufferers can find themselves
being passed from pillar to post as they bid to get help.
"The
Department of Health has laid out requirements for the treatment of
head and brain injury patients in its National Service Framework for
Long Term Neurological Conditions but these are a long way from being
implemented in the majority of the North East. Headway and other
neurological organisations are working hard to help ensure that the
requirements are met."
Health and welfare specialist Lisa Pitts,
solicitor at Irwin Mitchell, was among the speakers at the event. She
said: "The range of brain injuries can range from those that are barely
detectable but still have a huge impact on people's lives, to the far
more serious kind that leave adults in an incredibly vulnerable state.
"Only
last week it was claimed that the UK economy was effectively being
subsidised by up to £87bn each year by unpaid carers, proving their
value to society. It is vitally important that these people are given
the support that they need.
"While practically everyone who is
caring for a loved one feels it is their duty to do so, it does not
mean there isn't more help out there for them. The problem is nothing
will be handed to them on a plate - they need to know where to look and
who to speak to, while the amount of red tape can be a nightmare.
"There
were hundreds of examples at our event of people who need more support
and we know that is only scratching the surface in the north east."
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