Psychiatric Bulletin (2000) 24: 240. doi: 10.1192/pb.24.6.240
© 2000 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
Psychiatric Bulletin (2000) 24: 240
© 2000 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
UK Brain Injury Psychiatrists Group
The UK Brain Injury Psychiatrists Group consists of consultant
psychiatrists practising in the UK who manage beds for people with problems
related to acquired brain injury. The group was convened by Dr Ken Barrett in
1997, following the publication of the Health Advisory Service report on
neuropsychiatric disorders, Heading for Better Care, and first met in
September 1997. Informal meetings are held twice a year at the Royal College
of Psychiatrists. The present chairman of the group is Dr Simon Fleminger and
the secretary is Dr Anjun Bashir. The overall aim of the group is to improve
the quality of psychiatric management for people who have suffered
non-progressive acquired brain injury. Specific aims are: to develop a uniform
method of psychiatric assessment for people with acquired brain injury; to
develop treatment guidelines for use in this group of patients; to develop
training opportunities for psychiatrists in the management of psychiatric
consensus of acquired brain injury; to facilitate research on the psychiatric
consequences of acquired brain injury; and to create a support network for
psychiatrists working in this area.
Specific areas of work undertaken by the group include the development of
an acquired brain injury version of Health of the Nation Outcome Scales
(HoNOS-ABI), presently being piloted in collaboration with the Royal College
of Psychiatrists' Research Unit, and the development of an
aide-mémoire for psychiatrists undertaking a
neuropsychiatric assessment of a patient with an acquired brain injury. The
group is in the early stages of developing a small common database that may be
used to facilitate research in this field and is looking at evidence based
guidelines for the management of psychosis following acquired brain injury.
For further information or to take part in this group please write to Dr Simon
Fleminger, The Maudsley Hospital, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AZ.