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Neurological rehabilitation unit (Barnsley)
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About the service
The service provides specialist rehabilitation for people with long term neurological conditions. The ward consists of 12 en-suite bedrooms with excellent facilities and a full range of clinical staff.
Due to the changing nature of patients’ conditions, patients may need continuous access to a 24 hour coordinated assessment and rehabilitation stay, within a specialist setting. This helps their recovery and improves and maintains their functional abilities within the community, resulting in the prevention of further hospital admissions. It also helps to maintain their independence and reduce the support required at home, whilst providing continued support and education for relatives and carers. This reduces the cost of care in the long term.
All patients admitted to the unit receive a 2 week period of initial assessment by our specialist team, followed by goal-centred therapeutic interventions which are based on each individual’s needs.
There is a weekly multi-disciplinary team meeting where family meetings and discharges are planned and goals are set, ensuring consistency in our approach.
Read our information for patients, families and carers.
Visiting information
Visiting time is from 8am – 8pm daily with two visitors per patient on the unit at any one time. We maintain protected mealtimes (8.30am – 9.30am, 12pm – 1pm and 4.30pm – 5.30pm). This allows us to regulate a good dietary intake, monitor any difficulties and allows important social interaction.
However, it is important that whilst they are here, our patients have the opportunity to maximise the benefit from the rehabilitation environment.
Their therapy is a continuous process throughout the day which will involve interactions from many of the specialist team. This may involve them being away from their room at times and we also timetable regular rest periods as part of their recovery.
Your co-operation in supporting the rehabilitation ethos of the unit is greatly appreciated.
Visits from children under the age of 16 should be discussed with the nurse-in-charge and arrangements made prior to visiting if allowed appropriately.
Staff you may meet
- Administrative staff provide essential support to doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals. This can be in a variety of different settings, with administrators working as a receptionist in a clinic or a clerk on a ward. They may also be working closely with a consultant as a medical secretary.
- Dietitians use the science of food to help people to make good choices about food and lifestyle. Nutrition is an important part of recovery and wellbeing. All service users admitted to a Trust ward have their nutritional state assessed.
- There are more than 60 different specialities that doctors work within the NHS. Each is unique but there are many characteristics which are common. Roles range from working in a hospital to being based in the community as a GP.
- Housekeepers help nurses run hospital wards. They are a member of a ward team and support the delivery of clinical care by ensuring the ward is a clean, safe and attractive place which is conducive to patient care.
- Nurses who choose to specialise in the mental health branch of nursing work with GPs, psychiatrists, psychologists, and others, to help care for patients. Increasingly, care is given in the community, with mental health nurses visiting patients and their families at home, in residential centres, in prisons or in specialist clinics or units.
- Nursing or healthcare assistants work in hospital or community settings under the guidance of a qualified healthcare professional. They help doctors, nurses and therapists give people the care and treatment they need.
- Occupational therapy is the assessment and treatment of physical and psychiatric conditions using specific, purposeful activity to prevent disability and promote independent function in all aspects of daily life.
- A pharmacist is an expert in medicines and their use. They work to ensure that patients get the maximum benefit from their medicines and can practice in hospital pharmacy, community pharmacy or in primary care pharmacy.
- Physiotherapists help people to improve their range of movement in order to promote health and well being. This can help people to live more independently.
- Porters work within the Trust facilities team moving and delivering post, equipment and medication to locations across the organisation. They also help to move frail and often very ill patients between different departments and wards in safety and comfort.
- Adult psychotherapists work with people to assess and treat a range of emotional, social or mental health issues. They help people tackle problems such as behavioural issues, common challenges such as anxiety and depression or more complex or severe issues, such as psychosis or a personality disorder diagnosis.
- Social workers help, support and protect people who are facing difficulties in their lives. They help people to take positive steps to overcome problems and improve their lives. This could involve assessing and reviewing a service user’s situation, building relationships with service users and their families and agreeing what practical support someone needs.
Why a professional should choose the service
The service is a UKROC accredited level 2b service, with an average length of stay of approximately 57 days.
Read our information for professionals.
Support offered
- Maximise the rehabilitation potential of people with complex neurological disabilities
- Help patients develop the knowledge and skills needed for physical, cognitive, psychological and social function
- Facilitate their effective transition from inpatient to community based services
- Provide high quality, comprehensive and holistic rehabilitation services
- Promote service user independence
- Ensure that rehabilitation is accessible and delivered at the most appropriate time in the patient’s care pathway
Outcomes
We input, Fim-Fam, RCS, NPCNA, Barthel data is monitored and reported on by the Neurorehabilitation team at the regional Rehabilitation Unit, Northwick Park Hospital London.
Monthly reports are received and are made available to local CCGs.
Referrals also accepted from:
Referrals are accepted from Barnsley patients, with a Barnsley GP. All referrals should be sent to Right Care Barnsley. They will then email the referral onto NRU. Referrals will also be accepted from Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, and other professionals as long as the patient has a neurological diagnosis. Out of areas are accepted but the CCG local to that area must have agreed funding prior to the patient being transferred.
Referral criteria:
The neurological rehabilitation unit provides specialist rehabilitation for adults aged 18 and over with a long term neurological condition including:
- Acquired brain injury
- Traumatic brain injury
- Multiple sclerosis
- Guillain-Barre syndrome
- Parkinson’s disease
- Huntington’s disease
- Ataxia
- Brain tumours
- Motor neurone disease
- Stroke, cervical laminectomy
- Transverse myelitis
- Paraparesis of neurological origin
- Spinal injuries following assessment on a specialist spinal injuries unit
The unit provides care and early rehabilitation for patients with profound and complex disabilities, including those in low awareness states – and those with a tracheostomy – who have the potential for recovery, are medically stable and are able to tolerate active rehabilitation.