Every 90 seconds in the UK someone suffers a brain injury.

250 people a year are referred to the Acquired Brain Injury unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital, these are the lucky ones – many slip through the net.

In a split second, a seemingly normal, happy and healthy existence can be decimated by an injury that will impact the life of the individual and their friends and family forever. A car crash. A game of rugby that goes wrong. An unfortunate slip or trip.

What is a Brain injury?

A head injury is a broad term that describes a vast array of injuries that occur to the scalp, skull, brain and underlying tissue and blood vessels in the head. They are indiscriminate and range from minor bumps to catastrophic injury. Many go undetected for some time. They affect all age ranges and can range from a fall off a bike to a subarachnoid haemorrhage. Many of those affected suffer no long-lasting visible physical disability and so it is an invisible and often silent injury.
It can lead to isolation, unemployment, and family, and friends believinge there is a "personality change" which puts a strain on relationships.

They can occur with no notice and the impact as can be seen is dramatic.

Discharge from the hospital services is described by our members as:

Scary

Frightening

Lonely

Bewildering

Head Injured People in Cheshire (HIP in Cheshire) is a registered charity that exists to support these patients and their families