TV Celebrity Opens New Brain Injury Service
March 15 2007
ITV Central news presenter, Llewela Bailey today opened a specialist new service in Birmingham for people with acquired brain injury, run by leading national charity the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Trust (BIRT). The opening of this new facility, at 1101 Bristol Road, Selly Oak, Birmingham, comes at a time when the issues around severe head injury are generating increased media profile, with the event also timed to coincide with national Brain Injury Awareness Week (12-18 March 2007).
Built in partnership with the Bournville Village Trust, the new purpose-built facility will provide continuing rehabilitation and residential facility for eight service users with an acquired brain injury, caused typically as a result of a car accident, stroke, assault or disease. The service will help these people to regain skills lost as a result of their injury, recover their independence and reintegrate into the community. The new unit's excellent facilities include a separate independent living flat where service users can be supported through a gradual programme for discharge for independent living in the community.
Several of the new service users will have previously undergone assessment and rehabilitation with BIRT's established rehabilitation service at nearby West Heath, which will be providing medical and clinical support to the new facility.
Nick Archer, Service Manager of 1101 Bristol Road, said "Provision of high quality continuing rehabilitation services is scarce in this area. 1101 Bristol Road will be an important resource for those who need additional support over a longer period to achieve their potential for independence. Our specialist new service will complement BIRT's existing clinical expertise locally and will add to the continuum of rehabilitation BIRT is able to offer across the Birmingham area."
