The UK’s first NHS National Rehabilitation Centre is preparing to open its doors in Nottinghamshire, marking a major milestone in the future of rehabilitation care.
The state-of-the-art 70-bed facility, run by Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, will deliver intensive, early-stage rehabilitation for patients recovering from life-changing illness or injury.
Located on the Stanford Hall Rehabilitation Estate near Loughborough, the NRC is co-located with the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre, fulfilling a vision first proposed by the late 6th Duke of Westminster and supported by the Black Stork Charity, which helped raise £300 million to realise the concept.
The NRC is the first operationally carbon-neutral NHS building, featuring solar panels and air source heat pumps, and funded through the New Hospitals Programme.
Patients will benefit from:
- Earlier access to rehabilitation, improving outcomes
- Bespoke treatment plans supported by a specially trained workforce
- Access to the 365-acre estate, including a trim trail, hand-cycle track, fishing lake, and golf course
- The most comprehensive robotics suite in the NHS, aiding mobility and function
- Europe’s first 360° hoist for realistic movement training
- Advanced digital systems, including real-time location tech and intelligent bedside screens
- Shared access to DMRC facilities, including hydrotherapy, gait lab, immersive VR (CAREN), and imaging services
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust’s Chief Executive, Anthony May, said:
“We are proud to be at the point of preparing to open the doors of this pioneering facility to our first patients. The difference the NRC will make to patients and families cannot be underestimated.
"The NRC has been 15 years in the making. I should like to thank all those who have been involved for their perseverance, dedication and determination to make it a reality. I should like to pay a particular tribute to the Black Stork Charity for their considerable and unwavering support since the vision for the Centre was first conceived.
“This is a significant moment for NUH, for rehabilitation medicine in this Country, and for the many NHS patients whose lives will be changed and restored in this groundbreaking facility, set in a unique location.
“Moreover, the innovation, research and knowledge generated from the NRC will help develop rehabilitation nationally and internationally."
The NRC will lead rehabilitation research and education through its NRC Academy, in collaboration with 26 universities across England. Patients and staff will be encouraged to participate in research, accelerating the translation of new treatments into practice.
The NRC will primarily serve patients from the East Midlands, especially those referred from the UK’s busiest Major Trauma Centre at NUH.
The NRC is expected to have international significance, driving innovation in rehabilitation technology and treatment. Long-term plans include establishing the NRC as the national hub in a hub-and-spoke model, with regional centres across the UK to widen access and impact.
Image credit: Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
