Quality standard

This quality standard covers assessment, early management and rehabilitation following head injury in adults, young people and children. It describes high-quality care in priority areas for improvement.

In May 2023, changes were made to align this quality standard with the updated NICE guideline on head injury. Statement 2 on CT head scans for people taking anticoagulants has been removed because the recommendations in this area have changed. See update information for more details.

How to use NICE quality standards and how we develop them

Quality standards help you improve the quality of care you provide or commission. They apply in England and Wales (see the UK government website and Welsh government website). Decisions on how they apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland are made by ministers in the Scottish government and Northern Ireland Executive.

Find out how to use quality standards and how we develop them. We check our quality standards every August to make sure they are up to date.