Specialised inpatient neurological rehabilitation is commissioned by NHS England through specific Local Area Teams.
The overall process is managed by the Clinical Reference Group for Rehabilitation and Disability – see https://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/spec-services/npc-crg/group-d/d01/ to download the service specification.
Services in London are provided by eight specialist rehabilitation units:
- The Regional Neurological Rehabilitation Unit (RNRU) at Homerton Hospital http://www.homerton.nhs.uk/our-services/services-a-z/r/rnru-%28regional-neurological-rehabilitation-unit%29/
- The Blackheath Brain Injury Rehabilitation Centre http://huntercombe.com/our-centres/blackheath-brain-injury-rehabilitation-centre
- The Regional Rehabilitation Unit (RRU) at Northwick Park Hospital http://www.lnwh.nhs.uk/services/a-z-services/r/rehabilitation/regional-rehabilitation-unit/
- The Acute Stroke and Brain Injury Unit at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery http://www.uclh.nhs.uk/OurServices/ServiceA-Z/Neuro/Stroke/ABIU/Pages/Home.aspx
- The Neurorehabilitation Unit at St George’s Hospital (previously the Wolfson Neurorehabilitation Unit) https://www.stgeorges.nhs.uk/service/neurology/neurorehabilitation/
- The Rehabilitation Unit at the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability http://www.rhn.org.uk/our-work/rehabilitation/
- The Lishman Brain Injury Unit at the Maudsley Hospital http://www.national.slam.nhs.uk/services/adult-services/braininjuryunit/
- The Frank Cooksey Rehabilitation Unit at Lewisham Hospital (part of King’s College Hospital NHS Trust) http://www.kch.nhs.uk/service/a-z/frank-cooksey
Although there is equality of access across London, waiting times can still be too long, and timely and appropriate discharge can on occasion be a problem.