We see younger patients after single incident neurological events other than complete spinal injury. The majority of our patients have suffered head injuries, strokes, subarachnoid haemorrhages or other forms of diffuse brain damage resulting, for example, from certain infections or cardiorespiratory arrest.

Patients who are permanently vegetative or minimally aware are not usually admitted and patients with tracheotomies are only admitted under exceptional circumstances.

Services offered

• comprehensive assessment and definition of need for early neurological rehabilitation
• physiotherapy
• speech and language therapy
• occupational therapy
• neuropsychology
• social work
• medical services.

About the unit

The unit is purpose built and has 27 beds. It has been designed to ensure that all facilities benefit from spacious, modern accommodation. It is integrated with the acute medical and surgical services of the hospital, so that patients can begin their rehabilitation early after an acute illness. At the same time it provides an ideal therapeutic environment for retraining in all activities of daily living.

The comprehensive facilities include high, medium and low dependency ward areas, individual rooms, a transitional flatlet, ADL kitchen and laundry, communication group room, a family room, a therapeutic workshop, computer training facilities, individual physical therapy areas, a physiotherapy gym and a self-contained therapy garden.

Via a collaborative multi-disciplinary team approach we strive to offer excellence in rehabilitation.

Making an appointment

The unit primarily serves patients who live, or have been admitted to hospital, in north-east London and Essex. It also takes patients from the rest of the greater London area and the surrounding areas when appropriate.

Patients are usually referred from acute beds in neurosurgical, neurology units or district general hospitals. Referral is generally through the responsible consultant in the acute hospital and should be made as soon as possible after acute illness by letter or telephone. This is done via a referral letter from the medical team to the consultant neurologist at the RNRU and a referral form (obtained from the unit administrator).

How to contact us

For referral or general information contact the unit administrator on 020 8510 7970, fax: 020 8510 7318.

To contact the ward tel: 020 8510 7969.

Key staff

Consultants

Dr Richard Greenwood
Consultant neurologist with a special interest in general neurology, stroke, epilepsy and rehabilitation of brain injury (via RNRU). He is the lead consultant for the Regional Neurological Rehabilitation Unit (RNRU)

Dr Clarence Liu
Consultant neurologist with a special interest in brain injury and neurological rehabilitation

Dr Penelope Talelli
Consultant in neurological rehabilitation and stroke medicine with a special interest in stroke rehabilitation 

Other key staff include:

• Ward manager
• Clinical nurse specialist
• Unit administrator
• Clinical neuropsychologist
• Head occupational therapist
• Superintendent physiotherapist
• Manager of the outreach team
• Dedicated unit social worker

Related services

RNRU Follow-up Clinic (020 8510 7970) continues to see patients after discharge, initially after three months and then usually on a six-monthly or yearly basis where necessary.

RNRU Outreach Team (020 8510 7967), will see patients after discharge in the community to further progress the patient on their rehabilitation pathway.

Botulinum Toxin Injection Clinic (020 8510 7651), is run by Dr Paul Jarman and based in the RNRU, seeing patients for spasticity management.