THE UNIT
Rehabilitation Unit
This unit forms a major division of The Wellington Hospital . Occasionally, spinal patients need complex rehabilitation support, so our Spinal Unit is linked with comprehensive multi-disciplinary treatment programmes to maximise patients' functional abilities and we assist with psychological and emotional support in adapting to disability. We are recognised as the independent sector’s premier centre for the care of patients with neurological conditions including head injuries, spinal cord injuries and strokes. We also provide comprehensive therapy programmes for patients suffering from conditions as varied as amputation, post complex orthopaedic surgery and post critical illness.
The spinal cord is a bundle of nerve fibres that connects the brain with the muscles and organs of the body. Damage to the spinal cord is most often caused by an accident during which the vertebrae are broken. Sometimes an interrupted blood supply to the cord can also cause serious damage. Once the nerves in the spinal cord have been damaged there can be no repair or regeneration. But it is rare that the cord is severed completely and the amount of damage determines the nature and extent of the disability - the higher up the back is damaged, the greater the disability.
Our patients are looked after by Senior Consultants, all of whom are at the top of their profession and most hold senior positions in London’s renowned teaching hospitals. The other specialist staff members are among the most experienced in the UK at treating the most challenging medical conditions.
The unit itself, which has an international reputation for the excellence of its work, has forty-five purpose-designed en suite rooms, many of them with balconies and extensive views over London. Every room is equipped with all the facilities to make each patient’s stay as comfortable and as convenient as possible with plenty of space for visiting family members and friends.
Across three floors of the Wellington’s North tower, there are extensive therapy areas that include two gyms, a hydrotherapy pool and other areas where patients can practice the skills that will help them return to life at home.
We welcome patients from all over the world and each patient has a unique rehabilitation programme to match their own cultural and community needs.