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Acquired Brain Injury (ABI)

  • The Acquired Brain Injury Team work in partnership with many other health professionals and organisations, aiming to improve life after a brain injury by offering a variety of interventions. The Team supports and enables people living with a brain injury to lead a full and active life in the community. They provide a range of rehabilitation, advice, and support to meet continuing and changing needs, and where possible help people to access leisure facilities and return to work or education. This restores confidence and gives back control to individuals and their families.

  • Service Contact: whcnhs.cnrtreferrals@nhs.net
  • Address: Rehabilitation Unit,  Princess of Wales Community Hospital Stourbridge Rd, Bromsgrove, B61 0BB
  • Reception phone number: 01527 488108

About the service

Who is the service for?

Patients with a diagnosed acquired brain injury aged 18 or over with a Worcestershire GP.

What does the service offer ?

We consist of Occupational Therapist (OT) and Speech and Language Therapist (SLT) who will assess at the patient’s home and then work with the patient to set achievable goals.   Interventions are patient focused and timely.  The Team are supported by Rehabilitation Assistants and work alongside other agencies, such as:

Headway

Stroke Association

Onside

Healthy Minds

Acute Outpatients

Community SLT and OT

Neurology colleagues

Intervention is provided for as long as specialist support is needed to meet goals such as:

  • Returning to work either pre-morbid employment or exploring another avenue / career change.
  • Accessing college / university course – return to previous course or commencing a new course either ABI or mainstream.

Pursuing hobbies such as horse riding, fishing, golf, etc.

How to refer into the service

Who can make a referral ?

GP, consultant or allied healthcare professionals and voluntary services who can provide appropriate information about the patient.

Referrals to be sent to: whcnhs.cnrtreferrals@nhs.net

Please follow the attached link for our referral form.

Please can any referrers ensure enough detail is provided to ensure the referral can be triaged by the team and actioned promptly.

Acceptance Criteria

  • All acquired brain injuries / newly diagnosed FND (Functional Neurological Disorder)
  • Requires functional approach (cognitive / attention / visual / fatigue difficulties / emotional).
  • Must have achievable goals – own environment / functional approach.

Urgent Criteria

  • Significant impact of neurological condition on ADL (Activities of Daily Living) impacting on daily living (unable to manage without urgent input, eg
    • PADL (Personal Activities of Daily Living)  – swallowing, eating, washing, dressing - safety issues (lives alone)
    • DADL (Domestic Activities of Daily Living)  – preparing food – safety issues
    • Memory / cognitive – safety
    • Behavioural / Mood – at risk of danger to self or others
    • Upper limb, eg hemiparesis – at risk of skin breakdown
  • Significant role at home under threat, eg care giver to young children or carer under significant strain / in danger of not coping / SLT – communication breakdown (emotional).
  • Likely to lose work / job as a result of brain injury in the imminent future.
  • Swallow – risk of choking (aspiratory)

Routine Criteria

  • Moderate impact of neurological condition on ADL impacting daily living (has support or managing but struggling), eg
    • PADL – eating, washing, dressing – has family / carer support in place.
    • DADL – preparing food – has family / carer support in place.
    • SLT memory / cognition – no safety concerns but requires functional approach.
    • Fatigue if impacting on wellbeing.
    • Behavioural / mood if impacting on wellbeing.
    • Upper limb, eg hemiparesis (issues with splint, tone management, rehabilitation goals).
    • Communication – minimal harm – difficulty with expressing or understanding spoken and written words.
    • Swallowing – not at imminent risk.
  • Needs advice regarding driving / community access.
  • Seeking alternative work / vocational options
  • Other health care professionals involved who are supporting and providing input where MDT working is not a priority.

What do we do at an assessment ?

Patient will be assessed at home or via telephone or via virtual appointments

Collaborative goal setting.

Useful links.

Headway Worcester

https://headwayworcestershire.org.uk/

Headway Birmingham & Solihull

https://www.headway-bs.org.uk/

Stroke association

https://www.headway-bs.org.uk/

Contact details

Rehabilitation Unit,

Princess of Wales Community Hospital

Stourbridge Rd

Bromsgrove

B61 0BB

(Appointments are delivered across the county).

Acquire Brain Injury team contact number: 01527 488108

Acquire Brain Injury contact email: acquiredbraininjuryteam@nhs.net

Referrals to be sent to: whcnhs.cnrtreferrals@nhs.net

Business hours

Monday to Thursday. Office hours