#PublishThePlan – Sign our open letter by 16th July

We've had enough of waiting - have you?

The ABI Action Plan is still not published. We need the Government to #PublishThePlan on Acquired Brain Injury.

We are asking people to urgently sign an open letter to the Health Secretary asking for the promised Brain Injury Action Plan to be published.

Many have already joined the call to #PublishThePlan, including several MPs and peers at our event in Parliament yesterday.

Will you join them?

Daisy Cooper MP Lib Dem Spokesperson (Treasury) and Deputy Leader	Baroness Estelle Morris former Education Secretary
Sir John Hayes MP APPG chair	Andy McDonald MP Labour

ABI Parliamentary Reception

On 7th July 2026, people with lived experience and their carers, charities, professionals working in the sector, researchers and parliamentarians attended the Acquired Brain Injury Parliamentary Reception in Westminster to receive an update on the long-awaited Acquired Brain Injury Action Plan.

Sir John Hayes, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for ABI, confirmed that the Action Plan had not been published as promised by the end of June and discussed the dangers of further delay. He also emphasised the opportunity to secure support for the Action Plan with the change of Prime Minister and expected Cabinet reshuffle. He told the audience in Parliament:

“If we get this plan and it’s not what we hoped it would be, if it’s watered down, if there are gaps - that won’t be good enough and we’ll have to say so. If it’s not published, we’ll have to get a bit more insistent, dare I say a bit more militant.”

Chloe Hayward from UKABIF summarised the background to the Action Plan, outlining the statistics in different groups, the lack of access to rehab and community support and the recent changes in policy. People with brain injuries have been waiting for coordinated national action since at least 2017, when a Government strategy on ABI was first promised.

Health Economist and author of UKABIF and the APPG’s Right to Rehab report, Jennifer Misak, was seconded by the Department of Health and Social Care to draft the Action Plan and talked through the process and what is expected to be in the final publication.

Many of those present were able to ask questions and lend their views to the meeting. The issues raised included concerns over access to data, inclusion of issues relating to veterans with brain injuries, the need for teachers to understand brain injury, the connection between social care and the justice system, access to rehabilitation for older people with brain injuries, and funding for Headway’s regional groups and branches which provide vital support in the community amongst many others.

Previous APPG Chair, Sir Chris Bryant, who is now a Government Minister, also attended and offered his support, saying he was in close touch with the Health Secretary’s Special Adviser on the plan.

Sir John expects to receive a letter from the Minister, Sharon Hodgson MP, very soon which will provide an official update on progress with the Action Plan.

How can you help?

Please sign the letter before Parliament breaks up for recess on 16 July and share this message on socials:

Brain Injury is the leading cause of death and disability for those under 40. We urgently need a Brain Injury Action Plan, which has been promised since 2017. Please sign and share our open letter - #PublishThePlan

Tag @UKABIF on Facebook; X (Twitter) or LinkedIn and we will reshare.

We also encourage you to write directly to your own MP, asking them to support the Acquired Brain Injury Action Plan.