This week, people across the UK are encouraged to join together in support of the annual Action for Brain Injury Week.

The campaign, initiated by Headway - the brain injury association, aims to highlight the devastating effects of brain injuries and how they can dramatically transform the lives of victims and their families.

While this year’s campaign theme surrounds the need to be ‘concussion aware’ in sport, Action for Brain Injury Awareness Week also emphasises the need for people to recognise the signs and symptoms displayed by those with a brain injury resulting from any cause, including clinical negligence. The awareness week also reinforces the need to improve the availability and quality of medical and support services for those with brain damage.

Linda Millband, national practice lead of the clinical negligence team at Thompsons Solicitors, said: “Brain injuries can dramatically transform the lives of victims, including the way they walk, talk, think and act, not to mention the impact they have on victims’ families who can face a challenging time as they strive to support their loved ones.

“Brain injuries can vary hugely in severity, with symptoms ranging from headaches to long-term disabilities. Campaigns such as Action for Brain Injury Week provide a vital opportunity to highlight the effects of brain injuries, but also emphasises the importance of providing high-quality medical care and rehabilitative support services.

“In the main, brain injuries that result from medical negligence are entirely avoidable and it is absolutely vital that the government provides healthcare professionals with adequate resourcing to ensure mistakes do not happen. Recent NHS cuts are having a dramatic impact on the availability, access and quality of treatment and support services for brain injury victims, with many victims not receiving the care that they need.”