Each year over 1 million people will attend hospital in the UK as a result of an acquired brain injury, of which 100,000 each year are left with a significant disability. It is the foremost cause of death and disability in young people and children and is the largest cause of acquired disability in the UK today in the working age population. It is thirty times more prevalent than spinal cord injury.
Few specialist services exist to support people in the community with this condition, despite the highly complex nature of the difficulties experienced by people with acquired brain injury. Very often there is no physical damage and brain injury is often referred to as the "Hidden Disability". The most common problems are cognitive difficulties (ie. memory, concentration, attention, problem solving, etc); behavioural (especially anger management, impulsivity and self control problems); personality changes and sensory problems.
Physical problems can include motor and communication problems and chronic fatigue.
The impact of such injuries is that over 80% of those sustaining a severe brain injury will remain unemployed after five years, and without intervention will have an 85% chance of lifetime unemployment as a result of their injuries.
