What the centre does
The centre helps doctors, nurses, patients, and businesses across the UK to:
- Create new tools and devices to help patients with brain and spinal injuries in hospital.
- Support patients to live more independently at home.
- Train health professionals in the best ways to use these tools.
Why it matters
- About 1.3 million people in the UK live with problems caused by brain injuries.
- Brain and spinal injuries cost the UK around £15 billion a year in healthcare, social care, lost work, and other impacts.
- New technology can help protect the brain and spine, support recovery, and make life easier for patients.
Our aims
The centre aims to improve the quality of life of people affected by brain and spinal injuries and make new technologies available across the NHS.
The centre will:
- Identify solutions that meet unmet needs in patient care.
- Test the effectiveness of these solutions with experts and communities.
- Introduce successful solutions into NHS care pathways.
Patients and the public are involved at every step to make sure the work is relevant.
Themes
The centre focuses on five areas of the brain injury pathway, led by world experts:
- Prevention and education – reducing the risk of brain injury in at-risk groups.
- Acute care and monitoring – improving care in the critical period after injury.
- Restoration and rehabilitation – helping patients recover and reintegrate into daily life.
For more information, visit NIHR Health Tech Research Centre in Brain Injury (opens in a new tab)