A NEW hospital is to be built to meet the demand for specialist care for patients suffering from brain injuries in the South West.

Frenchay Brain Injury Rehabilitation Centre in Bristol, which is part of The Huntercombe Group, is to build the hospital and expand its services directly opposite the existing centre, which will also be refurbished and modernised.

The new service will increase the number of beds available from 29 to 52, with existing bed rehabilitation moving to the new hospital.

Lynn McLeish, director of Brain Injury and Neurological Care Services for The Huntercombe Group, which has 48 hospitals and specialist centres across England and Scotland, said: “We are all extremely pleased that the investment to build an additional new hospital at Frenchay will enable the clinical team to expand their remarkable work and to help more people who have suffered severe brain injury to get back as much as they can of their life and to return to living as closely as possible to the way they always have.”

This new service will benefit those patients who require a longer period of rehabilitation, treatment and support from the same inter-disciplinary team and the opportunity to practice independent living in a safe environment.

Rod Walsh, supplier manager at NHS England South said: “I welcome the decision to extend the neurorehabilitation provision at Frenchay. It demonstrates commitment on the part of The Huntercombe Group to continue to provide their important specialised services in this part of our region.”

Groundwork for the new hospital and upgrading the existing centre has begun with completion expected in spring 2016.

Medical, nursing and therapy staff have worked with the architect on the design, fitments and equipment.

Working in partnership with North Bristol NHS Trust, the Frenchay Brain Injury Rehabilitation Centre provides specialist assessment, inpatient rehabilitation and therapy for adults and adolescents (16 years upwards) with brain injury.