NSW Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program

In March 2000 the NSW Health Council presented its report. In relation to metropolitan health care, this report identified equity of access to quality services as a priority.

In response to this report the Minister, as part of the Government Action Plan for Health (known as GAP) convened the Greater Metropolitan Services Implementation Group (GMSIG). Consisting of 42 clinicians, managers and consumers GMSIG and its working groups consulted with over 1,000 health care professionals and sought advice from health care service consumers over a nine-month period.

In June 2001 the GMSIG released a report identifying 162 recommendations relating to a broad range of health services in Greater Metropolitan hospitals. The Minister endorsed the GMSIG report as a 'breakthrough' and adopted its recommendations as Government policy.

The Brain Injury Rehabilitation Directorate was established as a part of the enhancements to the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program with the primary focus on facilitating implementation of the aforementioned GMSIG recommendations and act as an advisory body to NSW Health while maintaining clinician and consumer focus in policy development. Working on the principle of establishing clinical networks.