Welcome to the Sussex Rehabilitation Centre

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Why am I going to the Sussex Rehabilitation Centre (the SRC)?

The SRC helps people with acquired brain injury, spinal injury and neurological disorders through rehabilitation. The SRC works as a team to optimise your recovery through close collaboration and communication. The therapy team will work with you on a programme to improve your impairments but everyone in the unit will be working to build these skills into your daily activities, increasing your confidence and independence for your future.

Neurological rehabilitation cannot take away the damage to your nervous system but it can guide and optimize your recovery. We can help you and your family adapt to changes caused by your illness or injury, and it can help the natural process of recovery.

How do I get there?

You will be transferred here from the ward you are staying on in the hospital. The staff will arrange for patient transport to bring you.

For visitors, there are buses that stop outside the Princess Royal Hospital:
Metrobus: 270, 271, 272
Compass Travel: 30, 31, 33, 39, 62, 89, 166, 769

Financial help with parking

As your visitors are attending frequently over a few weeks the hospital is able to help them with the cost of parking through parking cost exemptions and fixed cost weekly permits. Please ask a member of staff for further details and where to find the application forms.

What will happen when I get there?

You will be shown to your bed and shown where to put your belongings. The SRC is made up of 2 units, Lindfield and Newtimber. Both units have 3 bays of up to 6 beds each with a shared bathroom. You may be given a side room but this depends on your personal and medical needs.

All the information on your hospital admission, current medications and needs will be sent ahead of your arrival. Your therapy assessment and intervention will start as soon as possible. We will be looking to see what skills you have kept and what skills you can get back and we will work with you to find new ways of doing things.

Within two weeks of arriving we will complete a goals setting meeting with you where we talk about what you want to achieve during your time here and the steps towards reaching those goals. Following the goal setting meeting we will arrange an initial planning meeting with yourself and your family to discuss our initial impressions and gain your thoughts on where you envisage living at the end of your stay.

Further planning meetings will be arranged with you and your family over your admission if required.

What do I need to take with me?

Please do not bring too much with you as space is limited. One small cabin-baggage size case is enough.

For day time you will need:
• Comfortable clothes.
• Supportive shoes.
• You may need shorts for physiotherapy.

For night time, you will need:
• Pyjamas.
• Slippers.
• Washbag with toiletries.

You relatives or friends must do your washing at home. Please feel free to bring one small thing with you from home (for example, a photo in a frame or an ornament) if it would help you to feel more comfortable. If you bring any electrical items (for example, a hairdryer or phone charger), they will be checked by a hospital electrician before you can use them.

You may wish to bring a device or tablet and you can access free wifi. Please keep in mind that electronic devices can be fatiguing for those with brain injury and you should seek advice from the therapy team about using these. We are not able to take responsibility for the safety of your personal possessions and advise everything is clearly marked with your name.

Can I have visitors?

Visiting hours are between 2.00 pm and 8.00 pm every day. There is a maximum of two visitors per day.

We have ‘protected mealtimes’, which means that visitors will be asked to leave the ward during mealtimes so that you can eat in peace and quiet.

Can I make and receive phone calls?

Friends and family can call you on your bedside phone (it’s free to register) or mobile. Your nominated next of kin may call the nurses station to find out how you are on:
Newtimber Ward Ext. 65801 or 65802
Lindfield Ward Ext. 65615 or 65616

Ward staff are limited with the information that they can provide to friends and family over the phone. Mobile phone chargers will need to be tested by the hospital electrician. We are able to support you in making video calls to friends and relatives who are unable to visit in person.

Who will look after me and what facilities are at SRC?

The Sussex Rehabilitation Centre is made up of a team of professionals with expertise in rehabilitation. You will see a range of different professionals during your stay depending on your needs. This includes medical staff, nursing staff, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, dietitians, social workers, psychologists, counsellors, activity coordinator and flow coordinator.

Facilities within the unit include physiotherapy gym, occupational therapy kitchen, access to hydrotherapy, day rooms, wheelchair accessible garden, therapy room for quiet assessment.

You will be under the care of a named consultant.
The SRC Leadership team are:
Matron: Nathalie Pearson
Ward nursing lead: Caroline Browne
Consultants: Dr A Skinner, Dr K Ali, Dr C Mehta
Therapy lead: Anna McClean

In addition to our staff we have visiting support from volunteers, pet therapy, musicians, actors, and reading services. We have weekly boccia groups, and access to DVD’s, books, games, puzzles and games consoles in our day rooms.

When will I have therapy sessions and how often?

Your therapy will be from Monday to Friday. Once your needs have been assessed a weekly timetable will be made for you outlining the therapy sessions you will receive and any meetings you may have. You will be given a copy on a Friday for the following week.

We will aim to give you physiotherapy, speech and language therapy and occupational therapy daily if you require this intensity. Your number of sessions will be discussed with you and your timetable and intervention plan with be personalized.

Therapy sessions usually last about 30 to 45 minutes but certain assessments with Psychology and Occupational Therapy may require longer sessions. This will be clear on your timetable.

We will seek your consent for all treatments. If there are any concerns regarding your ability to consent then a capacity assessment may take place in line with the Mental Capacity Act (2005).

Outside of therapy sessions you will be encouraged to do as much for yourself as possible. Nursing staff will be given information on your achievements in sessions and when to encourage you to work on these skills during your day to day activities in the unit.

How long will I be in the SRC?

We will usually start discussing your length of stay and when you will be discharged, soon after you arrive with us. Your length of stay will depend on your needs but typically lasts between 6 and 12 weeks (maximum planned stay).

As part of these discussions we will set an estimated discharge date. This date can change depending on your progress, your medical needs and your social needs on discharge. If your stay exceeds your estimated discharge date we will continue to support you with appropriate levels of intervention whilst the next setting for your recovery is finalised.

Getting better is different for everyone as we all heal at different rates. SRC is a stage in your recovery journey that will continue for a long time after an injury. Part of our role is to consider your ongoing care outside of SRC and plan with you and your family for your next steps .

What can affect my recovery?

There are different things that will affect how you recover.

These include:
Your general health (for example, if you have high blood pressure).
How well you can eat and drink, depression, infection.
How well you were able to think, learn and remember new things prior to your brain injury.

We will watch out for these things and try and support you with them.

What about drinks and meals?

All food and drink is provided by the catering team free of charge. You can bring outside food in if it meets your dietary recommendations and can be safely stored. Drinks are served at the bedside.You may want to eat your meals in the dining room, or you may eat them at your bedside. The choice is yours.

Breakfast 7.00 am, drink 10.00 am, lunch 12 noon, drink and snack 2.30 pm, supper 5.00 pm, drink 9.00 pm.

What else is there at the Princess Royal Hospital?

• A restaurant with balcony seating area on the second floor.
• A faith room. The faith room is always open for private contemplation. There is a prayer room for Muslim staff and patients.You will need the access code from the chaplaincy team.
• The Chaplaincy team are on the first floor and can be contacted on 01444 441881 Ext. 68232.
• A league of friends cafe with outdoor seating on the ground floor.
• A WRVS shop on the ground floor.
• A dining room with access to the garden on the lower ground floor.
• A physiotherapy gym on the lower ground floor.

What will happen when I leave SRC?

We will do everything we can to make the move onwards from SRC a smooth one. Before you are discharged the multidisciplinary team will meet with you and your family to discuss your care, equipment and therapy needs.

If you are going home, an occupational therapist may visit your home. This is to evaluate your home environment, and make recommendations for adaptations that will make it easier and safer for you. Sometimes it is useful for the occupational therapist to accompany you on a visit home prior to discharge.

We are able to liaise with social services and make recommendations regarding any care support you will need at home. If you are unable to return home we will support you and your family in discussing what the barriers to this are and explore recommendations for new care settings or further rehabilitation units.

If you need it, we will arrange with the community neuro rehabilitation teams to visit you and continue your therapy at home. Your rehabilitation consultant will also see you for a follow up outpatient appointment.

We will make sure that your GP and any other appropriate professionals are informed about your stay at SRC. We will send a discharge summary and you will be given a two week supply of medicines.

Some patients are entitled to patient transport when they leave hospital. This will be arranged by the ward staff when appropriate. You will need to ask your relatives to take home as much of your property as they can before you go home. This is because patient transport can only take one small bag of property plus a mobility aid (if required).

Who will help me and my family with any concerns or queries?

Being a patient, relative or carer can sometimes be worrying or confusing. If you, or a relative or friend is concerned about something, please speak to a nurse or therapist. Our ward manager, Caroline Browne and Therapy Lead, Anna McClean are keen to help with any concerns or complaints you have. Please talk to us and do not sit with your worries.
If we can not resolve your difficulty please contact the trust PALS service.

The Patient Advice Liaison Service can help you. PALS will:
• Help with concerns or queries you may have about your care. Help you access your medical records.
• Give information about local health and health services.
• Give information about voluntary organisations and support groups.
• Help if you want to make a complaint to the NHS.
• Make sure your experience with the NHS is as easy and problem free as possible.
• Provide an opportunity for you to give your views on local services and use your suggestions on how these can be improved.
• Call PALS on 01444 448678.

Donations and fundraising

The Sussex Rehab Centre has a dedicated charitable fund used for:
• Provision of additional equipment for diagnosis and treatment.
• Funding of research projects to advance knowledge.
• Support for staff development and training.
• Creation and enhancement of patient-friendly environments.

If you would like to fundraise on behalf of SRC please contact UHS charity office on 01273 664708 or email uhsussex.charity@nhs.net

Donations to the SRC Charitable Fund by:

By cheque

Made payable to BSUH Charity. Please ask the donor to either write ‘To support the Sussex Rehabilitation Centre’ on the back of the cheque, or they can include a cover letter stating this. The cheque (and cover letter) can be sent to us via post to our charity office address, which is:
BSUH Charity
c/o the Post Room
Royal Sussex County Hospital
Eastern Road, Brighton BN2 5BE

In person

Via cash donations at the cashiers office in the Princess Royal Hospital. The donor should tell the Cashier the donation is intended to support the SRC as the Cashiers will then ensure the donation is allocated to the SRC’s charitable fund.

Over the phone

By calling the cashiers office at PRH on 01444 441 881 Ext. 68103. The donor may need to leave an answerphone message requesting a call-back if the cashiers are busy. Tell the cashiers the donation is intended to support the SRC.

Online

Via our JustGiving page, which can be accessed via our website When making
the donation, there is an option for the donor to type a message to let us know their donation is intended to support the SRC.