Opportunity or Threat?
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, people from all sectors and political backgrounds accepted that the current health and social care system wasn’t fit for purpose, nor was it sustainable. It’s an organisationally, culturally and financially fragmented system at odds with itself. It lacks whole system integration, and is often frustrating for people with neurological conditions and their families as they navigate their new lives after hospital. It’s a challenging and conflicted maze for neuro-rehab professionals and providers delivering the best possible services and outcomes for patients and their service commissioners.
Facing a new challenge – treating brain injury during a pandemic
The current pandemic has generated varying levels of anxiety in people around becoming infected or infecting others. In extreme cases, this anxiety can be debilitating. Overwhelming anxiety can lead to withdrawal from others, and in brain injury work settings, can cause staff members to refuse certain duties that make them feel unsafe, which can cause conflict with managers. Feeling a loss of control can be difficult for some, whether that’s at work or at home, and this can be exacerbated by restrictions designed to minimise infection risk. Changes in the workplace include virtual meetings, wearing PPE for client or patient encounters and working remotely.
Capacity for Decisions in Life and Love: Part 2
Georgina Moorhead of Irwin Mitchell focuses on cohabitation and marriage in the second part of her special feature.
Single or jointly instructed rehabilitation teams?
David Withers, of Irwin Mitchell, on which option is best for the injured person.
Organic brain injury or psychological trauma?
In a serious injury case, it is common for there [...]
Capacity for decisions in life and love: part 1
Under Article 8 of the Human Rights Act we all have a right to enjoy a private and family life. The need for relationships and intimacy is an essential part of most of our lives but for individuals living with an acquired brain injury, this can be far more complex, as Georgina Moorhead of Irwin Mitchell explains.
Assessments in the virtual world
Since the start of the Coronavirus crisis in March 2020, [...]
The integration of rehabilitation and medico-legal experts
In a serious injury case, a plethora of expert evidence will be obtained, writes Irwin Mitchell's David Withers...
Guillain-Barré syndrome in litigation
Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is often triggered by a viral or bacterial infection such as flu or food poisoning, it causes the nerves in the arms and legs to become inflamed and stop working, usually leading to temporary paralysis which may last from a few days to many months. An estimated 1,300 people (1 to 2 people per 100,000) are affected by GBS annually in the UK. About 80 per cent will make a good recovery, but between 5 and 10 per cent of people will not survive and 10 and 15 per cent may experience long term residual effects ranging from limited mobility or dexterity, to life-long dependency on a wheelchair. One such example is William Marsh, 57, from Glamorgan, Wales, who suffered from symptoms including stomach cramps and diarrhoea towards the end of a week-long all-inclusive holiday to the Dominican Republic in September 2018 which was booked to celebrate his 25th wedding anniversary.
