ABSTRACT
The Acute Brain Injury Unit (ABIU) at the National Hospital started in February 2000. It was a unique service that accepted patients in the acute stage following both TBI and stroke. The key was coordinated care and the integration of acute medical treatments alongside neurorehabilitation by a specialist multidisciplinary team (Consultant neurology, TBI and Stroke nurse specialists, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, dietician, clinical neuropsychology). In fact, the ABIU team won a Nuffield Travel Fellowship and, in 2002, and travelled to Melbourne, Australia, to visit a number of stroke units and learn about governance procedures. The ABIU remains unique in combining TBI and stroke, and in the integration of medical treatment alongside allied health care and multidisciplinary neurorehabilitation. Often, cognitive behavioural therapy can be effective in addressing mood symptoms, including depression.
