A leading Lanarkshire health professional has been awarded an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2025 for her outstanding contribution to brain injury rehabilitation.
Jane-Marie Stobie, Allied Health Professions (AHP) Consultant in Brain Injury Rehabilitation, has been recognised for her services to people with brain injuries in Lanarkshire.
Jane-Marie, who is the clinical lead for NHS Lanarkshire’s Brain Injury Rehabilitation Service, oversees a whole-system model of support that includes the inpatient Briar Centre at Stonehouse Hospital, the Community Brain Injury Rehabilitation Service and the Vocational Assessment and Rehabilitation HUB in Hamilton.
With a career spanning over three decades, Jane-Marie has consistently championed person-centred and innovative rehabilitation approaches.
After qualifying as an occupational therapist in 1989, she joined NHS Lanarkshire in 1997 and later led the establishment of the region’s first specialist community brain injury rehabilitation service in 2012. She has since been a key force behind the creation of the inpatient Briar Centre, leading a pioneering, AHP-led model that supports people at every stage of recovery.
The Briar Centre features ten inpatient beds, a state-of-the-art rehab suite, therapy kitchen, sensory equipment and a therapeutic garden. Providing seamless care from hospital to home, the service supports around 250 people in Lanarkshire each year who sustain brain injuries requiring specialist rehabilitation.
The Centre enables individuals to access personalised, life-changing care closer to home, delivered by a skilled and compassionate team focused on restoring independence and quality of life.
In 2024, it received the Special Recognition Award at the NHS Lanarkshire Staff Awards, celebrating its innovative and patient-centred approach. Reflecting its national impact, the Centre was recently visited by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, who met with staff, patients and families and praised its leading role in brain injury rehabilitation.
Speaking about the honour, Jane-Marie said: “I am truly humbled and honoured to receive this recognition. It has been a privilege to work alongside such passionate and skilled colleagues over the years and to support individuals and their families as they rebuild their lives after brain injury. This honour reflects the strength of teamwork across services and the importance of continually striving to improve the care we provide.”
Louise Long MBE, Chief Executive of NHS Lanarkshire, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to see Jane-Marie’s exceptional contribution recognised at national level. Her leadership, compassion and innovation have been instrumental in transforming brain injury rehabilitation in Lanarkshire. Her MBE is richly deserved.”
Professor Soumen Sengupta, Chief Officer of South Lanarkshire University Health and Social Care Partnership, added: “I am absolutely delighted for Jane-Marie on this fantastic achievement. This prestigious recognition is a testament to her continuing dedication to her patients, their families and her colleagues.
“Her unwavering commitment to the development of brain injury services in Lanarkshire has not only made a profound impact on those we serve but has also set an important example for others to follow.”
