In Headway UK’s ‘Action for Brain Injury Week 2017’, Mark Isherwood AM has called for improved services for people with neurological conditions at the charity’s first National Assembly for Wales event.
Headway is the UK-wide charity that works to improve life after brain injury. It has branches covering 14 Welsh Counties, including the 6 North Wales Counties.
Mr Isherwood, who is Chair of the Assembly’s Cross Party Group on Neurological Conditions, sponsored and spoke at their Assembly event this week, commending the work the charity does to support those with brain injury.
He said:
"The charity holds an 'Action for Brain Injury Week' in May each year and this year's theme is 'A New Me', which provided the inspiration for today's gathering.
“Through its network of more than 125 groups and branches across the UK, including branches covering Gwynedd and Ynys Mon, Conwy and Denbighshire and Wrexham and Flintshire, it provides support, services and information to brain injury survivors, their families and carers, as well as to professionals in the health and legal fields.
“At Headway, people use insight and care to help survivors regain some quality of life through a wide range of services, including rehabilitation programmes, carer support, social re-integration, community outreach and respite care.
“Headway provides a range of frontline services to help those affected by brain injury, lobbies for better support and resources to be made available to people affected by brain injury and works to raise awareness of brain injury and the devastating effects it can have.”
Mr Isherwood also provided an update on the Welsh Government’s Neurological Conditions Delivery Plan, which he said “reaffirms the Welsh Government’s commitment to both raising awareness of neurological conditions and ensuring those affected by any kind of neurological condition have timely access to high quality pathways of care, irrespective of where they live and whether these are delivered through hospitals or in the community”.
But he stressed that there is still more to do, with an estimated 100,000 people and their families in Wales living with a neurological condition that has a significant impact on their lives.
He said: “Collaborative working between the Welsh Government's Neurological Conditions Implementation Group, NHS organisations, social services and third sector partners is key to ensure that services effectively meet population need and reduce variability of services.”