Minister for Care Visits Specialist Paediatric Neurorehabilitation Service

Helen Whately, Minister for Care was accompanied by Sir Chris Bryant and a representative from the Department for Health and Social Care on a visit to the Cambridge Centre for Paediatric Neuropsychological Rehabilitation (CCNPR) on 7th June 2023.

The ethos of CCPNR is that physical and mental healthcare are treated together in a community setting. This  includes the involvement of schools resulting in improved outcomes for patients. This is not only preferable to the patient and their families but is also much more cost effective and efficient.

Whilst there the Minister and Sir Chris were able to meet a number families and key professionals from the team.

Jo from Cambridgeshire told the MPs that her son Josh has been under the care of CCPNR since a car accident last November, when he was 17. After the accident, Josh wanted to get back to school and be with his friends.

Educational psychologist Dr Gemma Costello  - a key member of the N-ABLES team advocated for the family, working with the school to ensure Josh would have the right support, even after his physical injuries had healed. He is now doing A-levels.

CCPNR is run by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT) but tightly linked to Addenbrooke’s Hospital (CUH) and provides a pathway from acute care into the community. It was set up in 2009, due to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) being overwhelmed by young people who were struggling despite sustaining their injuries over a decade before.

The MPs were visiting as part of their work on an Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) strategy, something Chris Bryant has successfully campaigned for last year.