Overview
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.
Last reviewed: 15 October 2025
Changes have been made to align this quality standard with NICE’s guideline on rehabilitation for chronic neurological disorders. 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.
Endorsing bodies
This quality standard is endorsed by NHS England as required by the Health and Social Care Act (2012).
Supporting organisations
A number of organisations recognise the benefit of this quality standard in improving care. They work with us to promote it to commissioners and service providers:
- Brain And Spinal Injury Centre
- British Paediatric Neurology Association
- Headway - the brain injury association
- Intensive Care Society
- Royal College of Emergency Medicine
- Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP)
- Royal College of Nursing (RCN)
- Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
- Royal College of Physicians (RCP)
- Society and College of Radiographers (SOR)