A pioneering national rehabilitation facility has opened in Nottinghamshire, aiming to transform how the NHS supports patients recovering from serious injuries and illnesses. The £105m National Rehabilitation Centre (NRC), managed by Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, features 70 beds and an expert workforce equivalent to 200 full-time staff. Designed as a model for future NHS rehabilitation services, it offers intensive physical, psychological and cognitive therapies to help patients regain independence and return to work.

Led by director Miriam Duffy, a former physiotherapist, the project represents over a decade of development. She described the centre as marking a new era for recovery care, highlighting the shortage of NHS rehabilitation capacity. The NRC brings together physiotherapists, occupational and speech therapists, with family involvement central to treatment plans aimed at long-term reintegration into daily life.

Located alongside the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre at Stanford Hall, patients can also access cutting-edge facilities, including virtual reality rehabilitation technology, hydrotherapy pools and motion-testing environments. The partnership allows NHS patients to benefit from advanced military rehabilitation expertise and equipment.

The initiative was originally championed by the late Duke of Westminster, whose charitable foundation provided the estate and significant funding. Supported by the Black Stork Charity, the NRC is intended to revolutionise NHS rehabilitation and influence national standards for recovery care and research.