UKABIF drives ‘Time for Change’ campaign at Online Summit

“This is your opportunity to take part in the ‘Time for Change’ campaign which UKABIF continues to drive, following the launch of the report two years ago from the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Acquired Brain Injury” said Dr Andrew Bateman, UKABIF Chair, as he opened UKABIF’s first digital Summit yesterday.

Andrew welcomed over 200 delegates, UKABIF members and all those involved in the treatment, care and rehabilitation of individuals with Acquired Brain Injury, to the summit which is being held in two parts, the second taking place on Monday, 16th November 2020, as an online event due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

New developments in the management of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) were discussed by Dr Leighton Chan, Chief of the Rehabilitation Medicine Department, National Institutes of Health (NIH), USA and Ms Catherine McMahon, Consultant Neurosurgeon and Clinical Lead for Trauma, The Walton Centre, Liverpool.

Leighton outlined the progress in developing biomarkers for TBI, including those already in clinical use. NIH is developing Neurofilament light protein (NFL) as a biomarker which can measure neuro-axonal damage and distinguish mild, moderate and severe brain injury up to one year post-injury. He commented: “Our NFL findings need to be reproduced in larger groups but we think it’s a commercially viable option”.

Catherine described the development of the Liverpool Head Injury Tomography (HIT) Score, a radiological scoring system, used to define a ‘surgically significant’ mild TBI, steer neurosurgical referrals and improve communication between referral centres and neurosurgical units.

Delegates also heard about the neurorehabilitation challenges as a result of Covid-19 with recommendations that still echo much of the ‘Acquired Brain Injury and Neurorehabilitation: Time for Change’ report.

Dr Mike Dilley, Consultant Neuropsychiatrist, St George’s Hospital, London said that the pandemic highlighted yet again the barriers between physical and mental health. “No health without mental health has to be the continuing focus going forwards; integration is non-negotiable” he said. He also discussed the progress being made by Neurosciences Operational Delivery Networks and suggested that delegates identify their Integrated Care System Lead and lobby them.

A series of short presentations focussed on how neurorehabilitation services have been adapted to deliver services online to individuals living with brain injury. Ben Beare, Physiotherapist and Post-Graduate Research Fellow and his colleague Dr Catherine Doogan, Senior Research Associate, University College, London developed, delivered and evaluated N-ROL (Neurorehabilitation Online). Nicky Ellis, Director and Specialist Physiotherapist, Hobbs Rehabilitation emphasised flexibility and adaptability provided by providers in the independent sector, and Dr Margaret Philips, Consultant in Rehabilitation Medicine, Royal Derby Hospital emphasised the need to find solutions to ensure that individuals continue to get the services they require.

Delegates were updated on the progress of the National Rehabilitation Centre (NRC), Stanford Hall, Nottinghamshire by Professor Mark Lewis, NRC Board Member. Mark said: “The NRC is an opportunity for the UK to continue to be a world leader in neurorehabilitation”. The timeline for the first patient to be admitted is November 2024.

The UKABIF Annual Conference is kindly sponsored by Cygnet Health Care, Irwin Mitchell Solicitors, Leigh Day and Neuro ProActive.

The UKABIF Annual Conference Part 2 takes place online on 16th November 2020 and includes Q&A with Chris Bryant, MP; sessions on Domestic Abuse, Education and Sport as well as ABI as a Public Health issue. Please register at: www.ukabif.org.uk/timeforchange2020