Patients recovering from life-changing injuries and illnesses are taking part in intensive robotic rehabilitation at a new £105m NHS centre in Nottinghamshire.
The National Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) at Stanford Hall opened on 2 September. Its 70 beds are designed for people who need specialist physical and psychological support after serious trauma, with stays typically lasting between two weeks and three months.
Technology built around each patient
Staff are using robotic equipment, movement sensors and a 360-degree hoist to help patients practise walking earlier in their recovery. Sensors fitted to the feet can analyse how someone walks, while the equipment allows repeated exercises tailored to their abilities.
Brandon Wright, 22, from Lincoln, is recovering from a brain injury and multiple injuries sustained in a motorbike crash during a race in Wales. He hopes to return home soon and eventually get back on his bike.
Nic Marsden, 29, from Eastwood, arrived unable to walk after being diagnosed with myositis and lupus. Intensive physiotherapy and robotic support have helped her regain mobility, and she hopes to be home for Christmas.
The centre is operated by Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and aims to help patients make progress earlier than traditional rehabilitation can allow. It shares the site with the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre and will serve people from Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Rutland.
Why it matters for Britain
The NRC gives NHS patients across the East Midlands access to highly specialised rehabilitation closer to home. Its approach could also inform how intensive recovery care is delivered elsewhere in the NHS.
