Estimates indicate that in Peterborough something like 1000 people a year sustain a head injury whilst in East Cambridgeshire and Fenland 355 people were admitted to hospital with a head injury in 2007/8.

Thanks to Headway Cambridgeshire there are now some additional support services for these people. In the last month a specialist day service has been launched at the City Care Centre whist a Fenalnd Social Group has started up in the Five Stars pub in March.

Thanks to a grant from Awards for All a specialist day service is also now planned for March later in the year.

Headway Cambridgeshire continues to provide support to people with acquired brain injury to help them live as independently as possible and to make their own chocies to achieve their personal goals and aspirations.

For further details about all the support services currently available please go to www.headway-cambs.org.uk or call 01223 576550.

This week I have been involved in lots of discussions and consultations about the seven strands of equality (age, disability, gender, race, religion/belief, sexual orientation and transgender). During these discussions a couple of other areas have been highlighted as possible strands including ‘money’ and ‘class’.

Brain injury, although falling under the disability strand, may cross all seven strands depending on the individual concerned. I know that each strand has its own barriers to participation but I’ve come to the conclusion that if you have a brain injury, and can no longer form short-term memories, then you are even more disadvantaged than most other people.

This is one of the reasons it’s known as the Hidden Disability because it is not obvious. Did you know?

-Each year, around 1.4 million people attend hospital Accident and Emergency departments in the UK following head injury
-Approximately half of deaths in people under 40 are due to head injury
-Head injury accounts for about 30 per cent of traumatic deaths and a higher proportion of long-term disabilities
-Men are two or three times more likely to have a brain injury than women. This increases to five times more likely in the 15-29 age range
-The major causes of head injury are road traffic collisions, falls and accidents at home or at work
-The majority of traumatic head injuries (80%) are classified as ‘mild’ with most people seen in Accident and Emergency and discharged home. Although ‘mild’, people often suffer from ongoing debilitating symptoms such as headaches, irritability, fatigue, poor concentration and memory problems. Such symptoms may be prolonged and impact on family relationships and employment. Approximately 10% of head injuries are ‘moderate’, require a brain scan and admission to hospital. These people are at high risk of ongoing symptoms. The other 10% are those with ‘severe’ head injury who are in a coma and require specialist treatment in intensive care

This is my first blog following a fantastic introduction by Ian McKendrick. You’ll find me talking about brain injury in future, but for now, a big thank you to Ian for taking the time out of his evening to help me understand some of the behind the scenes buttons and drop downs I need to know about to be able to write this blog.

Why brain injury? you may ask. Well I run an organisation (Headway Cambridgeshire) dedicated to improving life for people who have acquired a brain injury. We work across Cambridgeshire providing support and services to people in Addenbrookes hospital, through specialist day services in Cambridge, Huntingdon and Peterborough and helping people to cope with the effects of injury in their daily lives at home.

I’ll be commenting on some of the issues people face as well as topics which have a wider impact on the way support and services are delivered.

That’s it from me for the moment, I feel a bit like Captain Kirk, not quite knowing what’s out there but I look forward to finding out.

Andrew