Principal Hospitals
- Aberdeen Royal Infirmary
- Woodend Hospital
- Dr Gray’s, Elgin
- Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital (RACH)
Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, RACH and Dr Gray’s in Elgin have an A&E Department.
Children and Young People
Children and Young People with serious head injuries are likely to be cared for at:
Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital
Westburn Road
Foresterhill
Aberdeen
AB25 2ZG
Tel: 0345 456 6000
Neurosurgery
At Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, from A&E, a patient requiring admission for observation would be transferred to ward 101, and if appropriate, to the Neurosurgery unit, (ward 205). Patients are then discharged from neurosurgery to the NRU, then step down to Craig Court after accessing neuropsychology input within the Neurorehabilitation unit (NRU).
Rehabilitation
The NHS Grampian Neurorehabilitation Unit (NRU) is based at Woodend Hospital – although brain injured patients may also be placed in the stroke unit.
The Neuro-rehabilitation 13-bed Unit at Woodend Hospital provides inpatient assessment and neuro-rehabilitation for adults aged 16-65 (or older if clinically appropriate) who are resident in Grampian. Patients are also occasionally admitted from Orkney and Shetland. The team includes dietician, medical staff, nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech and language therapy and some (limited) neuropsychology input.
Rehabilitation is coordinated via a consultant in Rehabilitation Medicine. Most patients are admitted from the acute neurology and neurosurgery ward at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, although patients are also admitted from home.
Clear goals are set with patients (if possible), and rehabilitation is goal focused. Outpatient or community based follow-up is arranged as necessary following discharge.
There is a weekly Relatives’ Meeting, where the consultants are available to meet up with relatives to give them an update on progress (if the patient is in agreement with this).
Most patients who are admitted have a neurological disorder, such as an acquired brain injury or spinal injury, or deteriorating chronic neurological disorder such as multiple sclerosis. Very occasionally other rehabilitation patients can be accommodated. This can be considered on an individual basis. In general, patients who require complex multidisciplinary inpatient neuro-rehabilitation are given higher priority, as they cannot access this anywhere else in Grampian.
Contact: Dr Helen Gooday, Consultant in Rehabilitation Medicine
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine
Woodend Hospital, Eday Road
Aberdeen, AB15 6XS
Tel: 01224 556091 (secretary)
Tel: 01224 556261 (office)
The Department of Clinical Neuropsychology, provide neuropsychological assessment and rehabilitation to assist with cognitive, emotional and behavioural difficulties which may be impacting on daily living skills, independence, relationships, quality of life, return to work or study or capacity to make decisions. Following referral, patients are seen for a screening appointment to discuss available services, suitable interventions and to give brief advice.
Following this patients may be seen for cognitive assessment, offered group intervention or placed on waiting list for individual sessions.
Contact: Department of Clinical Neuropsychology, NHS Grampian
Room 2.19, Ashgrove House, Foresterhill Road, Aberdeen AB25 2ZN
Tel: 01224 559 352
Website: www.nhsgrampian.org
There is also intermediate rehabilitation; this takes place at Craig Court, typically patients are discharged from the NRU to Craig Court, and it is for people who are physically well but have cognitive impairment. Craig Court is a 16 bed unit, with 6 longstay beds for people with prolonged disorders of consciousness or very severe disabilities, and 10 rehabilitation beds.
Contact: Dr Roisin Jack, neuropsychologist and clinical coordinator
Craig Court
Binghill Grove
Milltimber
Aberdeen AB13 0HF
Tel: 01224 863527
Email: craig.court@careuk.com
Website: www.careuk.com
Dr Gray’s Hospital does not have specific rehabilitation beds for ABI, any severe traumatic brain injuries or polytrauma would be referred to the NRU in Aberdeen.
Contact: Dr Gray’s Hospital,
Pluscarden Road
Elgin, IV30 1SN
Tel: 0345 456 6000
Community Support
Patients may be discharged home and access community-based rehabilitation at the Horizons centre – accessed by Aberdeen patients, or community based therapy services for further afield via low intensity rehab. Horizons are a hybrid service combining NHS and social work. It provides a multi-disciplinary, multi-agency approach to the rehabilitation needs of service users aged 16 to 65 with complex physical disability, mainly neurological in nature. Horizons Rehabilitation Centre also provide advice and support to families and carers. They work closely with colleagues throughout neurological rehabilitation services and have dedicated support from Rehabilitation Consultants.
Horizons Rehabilitation Centre accept referrals from professional colleagues in health and social care within the Grampian area, and aim to provide community-based, multi-disciplinary programmes of rehabilitation, based on service users’ own goals.
Services:
- Vocational Rehabilitation
- Cognitive rehabilitation
- Hydrotherapy
- Fatigue management
- Functional Electrical Stimulation
- Swallowing/speech difficulties
- Home adaptations
- Weight management
- Care at home.
Contact: Horizons Rehabilitation Centre
2 Eday Walk,
Aberdeen AB15 6LN
Tel: 01224 556873
Website: www.bonaccordcare.org
Third Sector Support
The Brain Injury Grampian Group provide help with the following:
- Offer a full social and support programme including group meetings, social outings, exercise classes and speakers evenings.
- Support carers and make it possible for them to meet, share their experiences and attend outings and weekend breaks.
- Help promote partnership working between health services, social services and voluntary organisations.
- Raise awareness of what it’s like to live with a brain injury.
Contact: Brain Injury Grampian (B.I.G) Group
Tel: 07532 186 155
Email: biggroup@gmail.com
Website: www.brain-injury-grampian.weebly.com
Momentum’s Pathways Programme in Aberdeen offers a dedicated vocational rehabilitation programme for people with acquired brain injury.
Pathways help those with acquired brain injury progress towards and into sustained employment. The programme is funded by Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council.
Aberdeen Pathways is open to any adult (16 years or older) with an acquired brain injury who lives within the Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire areas. The programme runs Monday to Wednesday. Those how wish to attend the Pathways should have the motivation to secure work, education or further training.
The Pathways programme offers both group and one-to-one sessions which cover areas related to personal development, cognitive rehabilitation and employability.
Each session is supported by staff members to meet each person’s needs.
Some areas covered in the programme are:
• Brain injury awareness
• Health and well-being
• Confidence building
• Social skills
• Managing depression, anxiety, stress and fatigue
• Anger management
• Strategies for attention, memory and executive functioning
• Employability
• IT and Employability college course (On Wednesdays)
Referrals can be made by self-referral or through a health professional
The first stage is an initial Momentum assessment. If the programme is suitable for the applicant’s needs, they will start on the initial phase of the programme, Module1 – Personal development.
Throughout this 12-week first phase, each person will develop a clear vocational goal and readiness to progress onto work placement. The personal development phase will be delivered in various individual and group rehabilitation sessions provided within Momentum’s centre.
The second phase of the programme, Module 2 – work preparation, focuses on providing each person with work placements in their area of vocational interest within real-world work or educational environments.
Contact: Momentum Skills
South Building
Migvie House, 23 North Silver Street
Aberdeen, AB10 1RJ
Tel: 01224625580
Email: Migvie@momentumskills.org
Third Sector Support – Children and Young People
When a child acquires a brain injury it can have a devastating effect on all the family. The Child Brain Injury Trust is a UK-wide charity that supports families and professionals working with children and young people who find themselves in need of more information about what has happened. More details about how their staff in Scotland can help can be found here:
Contact: (For correspondence only)
Child Brain Injury Trust
101 Rose Street, South Lane, Edinburgh, EH2 3JG
Tel: 01313 572388
Email: https://childbraininjurytrust.org.uk/contact/
Website: https://childbraininjurytrust.org.uk/
For additional local third sector support, see: http://www.hiid.org.uk/
Updated: 23/12/2019