BASIC Background
When Bolton businessman Derek Gaskell brought his wife, Dorothy, home after life saving brain surgery at Hope Hospital, Salford she was unable to do anything for herself. She could not walk or talk and suffered deep depression. After many years she made a good recovery but the unexpected horror of this experience inspired Mr Gaskell to establish a registered charity 'Neurosurgical Research' in 1986.

The appointment of the charity's first employee saw its re-launch as BASIC (Brain And Spinal Injury Centre) in 1994. BASIC is now affiliated to the Greater Manchester Clinical Neuroscience Centre, one of the largest in the country, and works in close collaboration with the staff there to meet needs of patients within the community and further afield. Mr Gaskell has recently been awarded an MBE for his services to the charity.

For the past twelve years BASIC has been providing counselling, information and support services for patients and their families following a brain or spinal injury. Although a relatively small charity BASIC supports patients in a number of ways nationally, regionally and locally. We have significantly raised awareness of conditions affecting the brain and led the way in raising funding for research projects and life saving new technology.

Outreach and Information
An important part of BASIC’s work is providing information and raising awareness of brain-related injury and conditions. There is a wealth of specialist information in our library at the Neurocare Centre.

BASIC publishes information booklets, fact sheets concerning certain conditions and the return to daily life, and regularly mails free patient literature to neurosurgical units throughout the UK as well as to GP’s.

Throughout its existence, BASIC has funded the purchase of life saving technology for the Greater Manchester Clinical Neuroscience Centre at Hope Hospital. This has included the purchase of an ultrasound scanner that makes the removal of tumours much safer. The charity ahs also purchased pioneering equipment including technology to permit non-invasive treatment instead of surgery for brain aneurysms.

BASIC provided three-year funding for the UK’s first ever specialist subarachnoid haemorrhage nurse to assess the effectiveness of patient follow-up visits immediately after discharge from hospital. The post is a new development in the area of specialist nursing, combining clinical innovation and service evaluation. The project showed that early intervention could minimise the number and severity of problems.

All BASIC’s services and initiatives have emerged after grassroots consultation with the people we serve.
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National Helpline
For many people, their first contact with BASIC is the confidential national helpline. When it was set up in 1995, it was the first ever national helpline for people recovering from brain surgery and it continues to provide vital support and advice for those in crisis.

"The Helpline might be a lifeline for the patient, but it is also important and informative for their families. I needed it as much as my wife" Patient’s partner

BASIC posts out thousands of individually tailored information packs to callers each year.

Tel 0870 7500 000

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