Frenchay Brain Injury Rehabilitation Centre, Bristol is to build a new hospital and expand its services to meet the demand for its specialist care and treatment for brain injured patients, both locally and throughout the South West. The new hospital will be constructed directly opposite the existing centre, which will also be refurbished and modernised. The new service will increase the number of beds available from 29 to 52 beds.
Groundwork for the new hospital and upgrading the existing centre has begun with completion expected in Spring 2016. Medical, nursing and therapy staff have worked with the architect on the design, fitments and equipment.
Working in partnership with North Bristol NHS Trust, the Frenchay Brain Injury Rehabilitation Centre provides specialist assessment, inpatient rehabilitation and therapy for adults and adolescents (16 years upwards) with brain injury. The centre has gained a national reputation for excellence in intensive rehabilitation for people who have suffered a brain injury and is currently the only provider of this type of neuro-rehabilitation service in the South West. The existing intensive 29 bed rehabilitation service will move to the new hospital. Typically patients requiring this service are transferred directly to the brain injury centre at Frenchay following treatment in an NHS acute hospital to stabilise their medical condition, but are in the very early stages of recovery from their brain injury. Many arrive at the centre with very complex and profound cognitive and physical impairments.
The existing building will become a slower-stream rehabilitation service with capacity for 23 patients. This new service will benefit those patients who require a longer period of rehabilitation, treatment and support from the same inter-disciplinary team and the opportunity to practice independent living in a safe environment.
Frenchay Brain Injury Rehabilitation Centre is part of The Huntercombe Group. Lynn McLeish, Director of Brain Injury and Neurological Care Services for The Huntercombe Group, said: “We are all extremely pleased that the investment to build an additional new hospital at Frenchay will enable the clinical team to expand their remarkable work and to help more people who have suffered severe brain injury to get back as much as they can of their life and to return to living as closely as possible to the way they always have.”
Rod Walsh, Supplier Manager, Specialised Commissioning, NHS England South said: “I welcome the decision to extend the neurorehabilitation provision at Frenchay. It demonstrates commitment on the part of The Huntercombe Group to continue to provide their important specialised services in this part of our region. The provision of a slower- stream rehabilitation service on the site will offer commissioners additional capacity for patients in the area who need longer-term rehabilitation. “
The Huntercombe Group has 48 hospitals and specialist centres across England and Scotland, providing three specialist areas of care: Specialist Brain Injury; Adult Mental Health and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services. The Huntercombe Group works in partnership with NHS and Local Authorities.
