Using hospital admissions statistics, Headway – the brain injury association has compiled a dataset on all acquired brain injury (ABI) related hospital admissions in the UK. These include non-superficial head injuries, strokes, brain tumours, encephalitis, and a variety of additional conditions.
In 2013-14, Headway – the brain injury association published hospital admission statistics for the incidence of acquired brain injuries in the UK.
This was the first data set of its kind to be produced and has helped Headway – the brain injury association and Headway groups and branches to demonstrate the need for appropriate specialist services to be funded.
Following the publication of updated statistics in 2016/17, data for 2019/20 has now been produced.
Key results:
- There were 356,699 UK admissions to hospital with acquired brain injury in 2019-20. This is a 12% increase since 2005-6.
- ABI admissions in the UK have increased by 12% since 2005-6
- There were approximately 977 ABI admissions per day to UK hospitals in 2019-20 – or one every 90 seconds.
- In 2019-20, males were 1.5x more likely than females to be admitted for a head injury.
- In 2019-20, female head injuries were up 28% since 2005-6.
- In 2019-20, there were 137,403 admissions for stroke. This is a 14% increase since 2005-6.
Statistics
Data from 2019-20 highlights that there is still one admission to hospital for brain injury every 90 seconds, one head injury every three minutes and one stroke every four minutes in the UK.
Alarmingly, head injuries among females have continued to rise, with an increase of 28% in hospital admissions among females since 2005-06.
Strokes in males have increased by 24%, while total strokes have increased by 14% since 2005-06.
All ABIs have increased by 12% since 2005-06, with there being 356,699 admissions to hospital in 2019-20.
