A new specialist stroke rehabilitation unit has opened in Dudley, expanding access to inpatient rehabilitation for patients recovering from stroke.
The Ridge Hill Stroke Rehabilitation Unit, based in Stourbridge, has been developed by The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust to provide dedicated care for stroke patients who need ongoing rehabilitation before returning home or moving to another care setting.
The £1.5m redevelopment project repurposed the site's annexe building into an eight-bed specialist stroke rehabilitation centre.
The new stroke rehabilitation unit at Ridge Hill was funded by Community Health Partnerships (CHP) and delivered in partnership with Dudley Infracare LIFT.
NHS LIFT (Local Improvement Finance Trust) is a public-private partnership (PPP) programme established to finance, develop and manage modern primary and community healthcare facilities across England.
Dudley Infracare LIFT is the local LIFT company (LIFTCo), the public-private partnership responsible for developing, owning and managing community healthcare buildings across Dudley.
LIFT companies typically appoint construction contractors to deliver projects, although the contractor for the Ridge Hill redevelopment has not been named in the project announcement.
What are the features of the new unit?
The eight-bed facility includes a rehabilitation gym, a daily living kitchen, therapy rooms, quiet spaces, communal areas and an outdoor therapy garden, with rehabilitation delivered by a multidisciplinary team including nurses and therapists.
The Trust said the unit has been designed to help patients regain independence following a stroke, with personalised rehabilitation focused on improving mobility, communication, cognitive function and everyday living skills.
The dedicated facilities also allow patients to practise routine activities in a supported environment as they prepare for discharge.
The community-based service is intended to bridge the gap between acute hospital care and home, supporting patients whose rehabilitation needs cannot yet be met in their own homes.
The Trust said the model will also help reduce hospital length of stay by enabling patients to transfer safely from acute wards into a specialist rehabilitation setting.
It added that the opening marks the first time patients registered with a Dudley GP have been able to access dedicated inpatient stroke rehabilitation closer to home.
"The feedback from patients and their families has been so positive, and we are already seeing significant improvements in patient outcomes, which is a testament to the dedication of the entire team working here," said Michelle Rogers, team leader at Ridge Hill.
