Neurorehabilitation and therapy services

The Neurorehabilitation unit (NRU) is an 18 bedded level 1 rehabilitation unit situated in the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery.

It provides post-acute care for people over the age of 16 who have suffered from acquired brain injury, spinal cord injury or peripheral neuromuscular disorders, and who as a result have physical and/or cognitive impairments. People admitted to the unit have a range of diagnoses including stroke, traumatic brain injury, hypoxic brain injury, spinal cord injury, brain tumours, infections of the brain (encephalitis or meningitis), or Guillain-Barré Syndrome.  

Individuals are admitted directly from hospital following the new diagnosis, once their treating team think they are ready to undertake specialist rehabilitation. We assess patients’ suitability for admission via a multi-disciplinary team assessment.

Our unit delivers a high intensity programme of rehabilitation within a stimulating environment. This may not be suitable for every patient with an acquired neurological condition, in which case we are often able to make an alternative recommendation to the referring team. 

Patients typically come to us from: 

• Stroke units 
• Major trauma centres 
• District general hospitals in/around London  

The aim of the rehabilitation admission is to optimise an individual’s function, to enable them to return home and participate in life roles which are meaningful to them, and to support them in their journey with their new diagnosis.

We aim to help the person with all aspects of their life including communication, thinking skills, mobility, personal care and leisure or work roles. Many of our patients are young and are in work or have parenting roles. It is therefore essential to work not only with them but also their families or carers to minimise the impact their diagnosis has had.  

We liaise with local authorities and community therapy teams in order to help patients transition into the community once their inpatient rehabilitation is completed. Three - six months following discharge, we offer a one-off out-patient appointment to follow up any outstanding issues, before passing care back to the patient’s local services.   

Our large team is made up of specialist doctors (specialising in neurology, physical and rehabilitation medicine, and neuropsychiatry), rehabilitation nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, psychologists, social workers, rehabilitation assistants, administrators and domestic staff.