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Neurorehabilitation


The Bristol Royal Children's Hospital Neuro-Rehabilitation Unit consists of 8 specially funded beds where children with impaired function following neurological injuries, conditions or disorders are able to receive care from a team of specialist multi-disciplinary professionals.

Children appropriate for the Neuro-Rehabilitation Service will usually be referred by the Neurology, Oncology or Neurosurgical medical teams. New patients will be discussed at the weekly Neuro-Rehabilitation team meeting to decide if they would benefit from the service. Patients accepted for Neuro-Rehabilitation usually require more long-term rehabilitation and complex discharge planning.

The types of conditions that we may see include:

  • Brain and spinal cord tumours (in particular Posterior Fossa Syndrome)
  • Traumatic/acquired brain injury (including paediatric stroke)
  • Traumatic/acquired spinal cord injury
  • Inflammatory and demyelinating disorders (such as Guillain-Barre, Transverse  Myelitis, Acute Flaccid Myelitis, ADEM)
  • Movement deficits following epilepsy surgery
  • Movement disorders (such as dystonia, dyskinesia, chorea, ataxia)
  • Neuro-psychiatric disorders
  • Medically unexplained neurological symptoms

Children may receive care from any number of our team which consists of:

  • Doctors - Two lead Neuro-Rehabilitation Consultants and their medical teams
  • Neuro-Rehabilitation Nurses
  • Major Trauma Team
  • Discharge Planning Co-ordinator
  • Physiotherapists
  • Occupational Therapists
  • Speech and Language Therapists
  • Neuro-Psychologists
  • Dieticians
  • Orthotists
  • Play Therapists
  • Music Therapists 


We all work together to maximise your child's rehabilitation potential. We aim to help your child to regain function after a neurological event and reduce any risk of complications resulting from the condition. We will make appropriate recommendations if ongoing input is required and aim to facilitate a safe, planned discharge home.

We have a dedicated rehabilitation therapy gym where sessions take place with a variety of equipment and toys available to help facilitate treatment. Identifying goals for your child to work towards is very important as we want to know and understand what their priorities are; we work closely with children and their families to set functional goals which they are motivated to achieve.  Families are taught how to participate in their child's rehabilitation and play a vital role in their child's progress. 

We liaise with Community Teams to ensure a smooth transition from hospital to home, which includes Discharge Planning Meetings, where all of the Professionals involved in your child's care contribute.  Discharge is reviewed in a holistic way, considering important aspects such as re-integration to school or referral to special education needs schools. If needed, we can also liaise with Social Care Teams and Social Workers to assess for packages of care, nursing and psychological needs. 

We have access to specialist services and charities such as the Botulinum Toxin Service, Complex Movement Disorders Service (including Intra-Thecal Baclofen and Deep Brain Stimulation), Orthopaedics, Orthotics, Wheelchair Services, and the Child Brain Injury Trust (CBIT). 

Useful contact numbers

Lisa Hutchens  (Physiotherapy Team Lead)    0117 3428762

Rebecca Muir  (Occupational Therapy Team Lead)   0117 3427896

Helen Cullimore  (Speech and Language Therapy Team Lead)    0117 3427896