When someone suffers a brain injury, they will often require specialist rehabilitation support for weeks, months or even years to help them achieve the best possible recovery. In general, the sooner brain injury rehabilitation begins, the faster and better the overall recovery is likely to be. Unfortunately, there is a lot of competition within the NHS for these services, meaning patients often have to wait to access the recovery support they need.
Exactly how quickly a patient needs access to rehabilitation services will depend on their circumstances, but data from the NHS shows that in some cases patients are waiting in excess of 40 days between referral to a specialist rehabilitation unit and their first rehab appointment. For brain injury survivors, a delay of this length could have a serious impact on their long-term chances of making a strong recovery.
What is the impact of waiting for brain injury rehabilitation?
This will depend on the severity of the injury and the type of rehabilitation support needed. In many cases, a wait of two to three weeks may not make a significant difference. However, in the most severe cases, or where rehabilitation is delayed for months, it can mean brain injury survivors take longer to recover, putting an additional strain on them and their loved ones.
Because the first few months are often when the most significant recovery occurs, not having the right support during this period may also limit the overall level of recovery that can be achieved.
That said, many people have the idea that brain injury recovery stops after a set period following the original injury, with time limits of six months, one year and two years all being commonly quoted. The reality is that while the majority of recovery from a brain injury will happen in the first six months to two years, further improvements can be achieved for years beyond this, meaning that brain injury survivors may benefit from rehabilitation support over a much longer period that many people might imagine.
Get access to brain injury rehabilitation services when you need them
If you or a loved one needs brain injury rehabilitation support, waiting for treatment through the NHS may not be an option if you want to achieve the best possible recovery. However, paying for private treatment is beyond the means of many people. This is one of the key reasons why it may be worth pursuing brain injury compensation where the injury was due to someone else’s fault or deliberate action.
Brain injury compensation can often be substantial, providing the funds for all sorts of treatment, as well as home adaptions, replacing lost income and more. However, these claims can be complicated, so it is essential to have the right legal advice and support for making a brain injury claim.
A specialist brain injury lawyer will be able to give you the specific guidance to ensure you have the best chance of securing fair compensation, while also being able to advise you on the options for rehabilitation and other types of support, ensuring you or your loved one get the very best help and assistance for brain injury recovery.
