Consultation launched for new £70m NHS rehab centre for patients across East Midlands
NHS commissioners in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire are asking patients, families and carers for their views on proposals to create a £70m NHS Rehabilitation Centre to increase access to more rehabilitation beds.
As part of the consultation, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) are asking the public for their views on transferring existing rehabilitation services from Linden Lodge at Nottingham City Hospital to the new centre on the Stanford Hall Rehabilitation Estate, near Loughborough, alongside the creation of new services.
According to the British Society of Rehabilitation Medicine, there is currently a shortage of beds for specialist rehabilitation in the East Midlands. The development of a new centre will increase access to more rehabilitation beds and all the services and staff patients need under one roof.
In addition, the new centre will mean that in-patient rehabilitation services will be available in the East Midlands for the first time for individuals that have had complex injuries or who need intensive rehabilitation after a period of serious illness. Currently, in-patient rehabilitation is available in the region for neurological patients only.
The consultation will run from 27 July through to 18 September 2020.
Dr James Hopkinson, Joint Clinical Leader at Nottingham and Nottinghamshire CCG, said: “The creation of an NHS Rehabilitation Centre will provide NHS patients with access to teams of skilled professionals working as part of a medical consultant-led team to support their rehabilitation, enabling them to meet their full potential to return to their daily lives. The potential benefits include greater access to care through open referrals, increased capacity for specialist rehabilitation in the region and shorter waiting times for treatment.
“We believe that the services proposed will provide better outcomes for patients and crucially, help them get back to their lives sooner because they have received intensive rehabilitation.”
A series of online consultation engagement events organised by Nottingham and Nottinghamshire CCG will take place to ensure the public can find out more and express their views.
The CCG also welcomes views from people who cannot join events and has set up an online survey
Amanda Sullivan, Accountable Officer of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire CCG, added: “This is an exciting opportunity for the NHS to transform rehabilitation services in our area, increase specialist bed capacity and provide access to excellent facilities and the latest equipment and technology to support patients in their rehabilitation journey. We would very much like to hear people’s views on this opportunity.”
Commenting on the new NHS rehabilitation centre, Ruth ten Hove, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) Assistant Director for Practice and Development, said: “The CSP supports the plans to develop a purpose-built rehab centre. It will go a long way to meeting the need for specialist inpatient rehabilitation in the region, as well as providing an example for other parts of the country.
“While it is encouraging to see this investment, we believe people requiring complex inpatient rehab must be supported to reach their full potential by having the ability to access community rehab services as part of an integrated pathway of care.”