The significance of the ‘National Rehabilitation Centre’ and how it has come about - Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre (DNRC)

<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en-gb" dir="ltr"> <head> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"> <meta name="description" content="Discover the Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre (DNRC), dedicated to pioneering recovery and rehabilitation for armed forces and civilian patients. Learn about the innovative programs, state-of-the-art facilities, and the journey towards holistic rehabilitation at the Stanford Hall Estate."> <meta name="generator" content="Joomla! - Open Source Content Management"> <title>The significance of the ‘National Rehabilitation Centre’ and how it has come about - Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre (DNRC)</title> <link href="/the-ultimate-prize/the-significance-of-the-national-rehabilitation-centre-and-how-it-has-come-about?format=feed&type=rss" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="The significance of the ‘National Rehabilitation Centre’ and how it has come about - Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre (DNRC)"> <link href="/the-ultimate-prize/the-significance-of-the-national-rehabilitation-centre-and-how-it-has-come-about?format=feed&type=atom" rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="The significance of the ‘National Rehabilitation Centre’ and how it has come about - Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre (DNRC)"> <link href="/favicon.ico" rel="icon" type="image/vnd.microsoft.icon"> <link href="/media/plg_system_wf_responsify/css/responsive.min.css?d7cabc" rel="stylesheet" /> <link href="/media/templates/site/volute/css/volute.css?d7cabc" rel="stylesheet" /> <link href="/media/system/css/joomla-fontawesome.min.css?d7cabc" rel="lazy-stylesheet" /><noscript><link href="/media/system/css/joomla-fontawesome.min.css?d7cabc" rel="stylesheet" /></noscript> <link href="/media/mod_menu_accordion_j4/css/mod_menu_accordion_j4.css?d7cabc" rel="stylesheet" nomodule defer /> <link href="/media/templates/site/volute/css/mod_menu_dropdown-on-hover.css?d7cabc" rel="stylesheet" /> <link href="/media/mod_mobile_menu_bar_j4/css/mod_mobile_menu_bar_j4.css?d7cabc" rel="stylesheet" nomodule defer /> <link href="/media/templates/site/volute/css/vendor/joomla-custom-elements/joomla-alert.min.css?0.2.0" rel="stylesheet" /> <link href="/media/plg_system_jcepro/site/css/content.min.css?fe2b19f2ee347603dcb1ee4916167c1f" rel="stylesheet" /> <link href="/media/com_widgetkit/css/site.css" rel="stylesheet" id="widgetkit-site-css" /> <style>:root { --hue: 214; --template-bg-light: #f0f4fb; --template-text-dark: #495057; --template-text-light: #ffffff; --template-link-color: #2a69b8; --template-special-color: #001B4C; }</style> <script src="/media/plg_system_wf_responsify/js/responsive.min.js?d7cabc"></script> <script src="/media/vendor/jquery/js/jquery.min.js?3.7.1"></script> <script src="/media/templates/site/volute/js/searchbar.js?d7cabc" defer></script> <script src="/media/mod_menu_accordion_j4/js/mod_menu_accordion_j4_active.js?d7cabc"></script> <script src="/media/mod_mobile_menu_bar_j4/js/mod_mobile_menu_bar_j4.js?d7cabc"></script> <script type="application/json" class="joomla-script-options new">{"plg_system_responsify":{"urlExclusions":[],"allowedUrls":[],"iframeMedia":"allowed_iframe_media","mediaLocation":"any"},"joomla.jtext":{"ERROR":"Error","MESSAGE":"Message","NOTICE":"Notice","WARNING":"Warning","JCLOSE":"Close","JOK":"OK","JOPEN":"Open"},"system.paths":{"root":"","rootFull":"https://thednrc.org.uk/","base":"","baseFull":"https://thednrc.org.uk/"},"csrf.token":"02b318037bb8eac5a8c5c5b065e9fa08"}</script> <script src="/media/system/js/core.min.js?83f2c9"></script> <script src="/media/templates/site/volute/js/template.min.js?d7cabc" defer></script> <script src="/media/system/js/messages.min.js?7a5169" type="module"></script> <script src="/media/com_widgetkit/js/maps.js" defer></script> <script src="/media/com_widgetkit/lib/uikit/dist/js/uikit.min.js"></script> <script src="/media/com_widgetkit/lib/uikit/dist/js/uikit-icons.min.js"></script>  <script src="https://cdn.usefathom.com/script.js" data-site="PVNFUWHJ" defer></script>   <link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com"> <link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.gstatic.com" crossorigin> <link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Roboto:ital,wght@0,400;0,500;0,700;1,400;1,500;1,700&display=swap" rel="stylesheet"> <body class="site com_content wrapper-static view-category layout-blog no-task itemid-608 has-sidebar-left ">  <header class="mobile-header"> <div class="skip-container"> <a class="skip-to-content" href='#content'>Skip to content</a> </div> <div class='cover'></div> <nav id="mobile-menu"> <div class="mobile-menu-bar"> <div class="moduletable "> <div class="mobile-menu-bar-toggle menu-top"> <div class="menu-toggle"> <button type="button" title="Main menu toggle" class="mobile-menu-btn" id="mm-button" onclick='toggleMenu();' aria-pressed="false" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="ost"> <div class="hamburger hamburger-cancel"> <span class="icon"></span> </div> </button> </div> <div class="menu-logo"> <div class='logo mobile'> <a href="/" title="Link to homepage">  <img src="/assets/DNRC-logo.svg#joomlaImage://local-assets/DNRC-logo.svg?width=251&height=114" alt="Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre (DNRC)"> </a> </div> </div> </div></div> </div> <div class="off-screen-top" id="ost" labelledby="mm-button" aria-hidden="true"> <div class="off-screen-container"> <div class="moduletable "> <ul class="mod-menu mod-list nav accordion-menu one-at-a-time 1"> <li class="nav-item item-623 default"><a href="/" >Home</a></li><li class="nav-item item-603 deeper parent"><div class="list-container"><a href="/whats-this-all-about/the-dukes-idea" >What’s this all about?</a><button class="accordion-btn" aria-label="Show submenu"><div class="button-inner"><div class="arrows"></div></div></button></div><ul class="nav-child unstyled small"><li class="nav-item item-605"><div class="list-container"><a href="/whats-this-all-about/the-dukes-idea" >A Duke’s initiative</a></li><li class="nav-item item-606"><div class="list-container"><a href="/whats-this-all-about/how-it-is-being-done-dnrc-programme-and-the-black-stork-charity" >How it is being done – DNRC Programme and the Black Stork Charity</a></li></ul></li><li class="nav-item item-604 current active deeper parent"><div class="list-container"><a href="/the-ultimate-prize/the-significance-of-the-national-rehabilitation-centre-and-how-it-has-come-about" >The ultimate prize</a><button class="accordion-btn" aria-label="Show submenu"><div class="button-inner"><div class="arrows"></div></div></button></div><ul class="nav-child unstyled small"><li class="nav-item item-608 current active"><div class="list-container"><a href="/the-ultimate-prize/the-significance-of-the-national-rehabilitation-centre-and-how-it-has-come-about" aria-current="page">The significance of the ‘National Rehabilitation Centre’ and how it has come about</a></li><li class="nav-item item-609"><div class="list-container"><a href="/the-ultimate-prize/the-basis-of-nrcs-design-and-how-it-will-function" >The basis of NRC’s design and how it will function</a></li><li class="nav-item item-610"><div class="list-container"><a href="/the-ultimate-prize/the-ultimate-opportunity---hub-and-spokes" >The ultimate opportunity – ‘hub and spokes’</a></li><li class="nav-item item-624"><div class="list-container"><a href="/the-ultimate-prize/the-novel-nature-of-the-rehabilitation-estate" >The novel nature of the ‘Rehabilitation Estate’</a></li></ul></li></ul> </div> </div> <div class="page-anchors"> <a href="#mobile-menu" class="btn back-to-top">Back to top</a> <a href='#content' class="btn go-to-content" onclick='toggleMenu();'>Go to content</a> </div> </div> </nav> </header> <header class="header container-fluid full-width d-none d-md-block"> <div class="container d-flex flex-column flex-sm-row align-items-center"> <div class="header-left col-12 col-md-6 text-center text-md-start"> <div class="navbar-brand"> <a class="brand-logo" href="/"> <img src="/assets/DNRC-logo.svg#joomlaImage://local-assets/DNRC-logo.svg?width=251&height=114" alt="Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre (DNRC)"> </a> </div> </div> </div> <nav class="navbar d-none d-md-flex"> <div class="container"> <div class="moduletable "> <ul class="mod-menu mod-list nav "> <li class="nav-item item-623 default"><a href="/" class="nav-link">Home</a></li><li class="nav-item item-603 parent"><a href="/whats-this-all-about/the-dukes-idea" >What’s this all about?</a></li><li class="nav-item item-604 current active parent"><a href="/the-ultimate-prize/the-significance-of-the-national-rehabilitation-centre-and-how-it-has-come-about" >The ultimate prize</a></li></ul> </div> </div> </nav> </header> <div class="container-fluid hero"> <div class="container"> <div class="moduletable "> <div class="mod-hero-banner d-flex flex-nowrap align-items-center justify-content-between position-relative "> <div class="hero-text">    <h1 class="parent-only">The ultimate prize</h1>    </div> </div></div> </div> </div> <div class="container-fluid main-container"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="sidebar-left d-none d-md-block col-md-4"> <div class="moduletable "> <ul class="mod-menu mod-list nav accordion-menu one-at-a-time 1"> <li class="nav-item item-608 current active"><a href="/the-ultimate-prize/the-significance-of-the-national-rehabilitation-centre-and-how-it-has-come-about" aria-current="page">The significance of the ‘National Rehabilitation Centre’ and how it has come about</a></li><li class="nav-item item-609"><a href="/the-ultimate-prize/the-basis-of-nrcs-design-and-how-it-will-function" >The basis of NRC’s design and how it will function</a></li><li class="nav-item item-610"><a href="/the-ultimate-prize/the-ultimate-opportunity---hub-and-spokes" >The ultimate opportunity – ‘hub and spokes’</a></li><li class="nav-item item-624"><a href="/the-ultimate-prize/the-novel-nature-of-the-rehabilitation-estate" >The novel nature of the ‘Rehabilitation Estate’</a></li></ul> </div> </div> <main id="content" role="main" class="col-md-8 offset-md-0">  <div id="system-message-container" aria-live="polite"></div> <div class="com-content-category-blog blog"> <div class="com-content-category-blog__items blog-items items-leading "> <div class="com-content-category-blog__item blog-item"> <div class="item-content"> <div class="page-header"> <h2> The significance of the ‘National Rehabilitation Centre’ and how it has come about </h2> </div> <p>The request by the Defence Secretary to the 6<sup>th</sup> Duke of Westminster <em>‘do something for the nation too’</em> and the subsequent concept of a new rural estate in the Midlands housing both a Defence rehab facility and, importantly, the first ever NHS Clinical Rehabilitation Centre, must be seen in the context of the prevailing NHS position on rehabilitation in 2010.  The notion of rehabilitating people after serious injury or illness was established in the clinical arena in the NHS, but the UK’s record in this respect is amongst the worst in the world – notably evident in the statistics for returning people to life and work where the UK figure is 35% compared with 50 to 60% throughout Europe and the North American continent.  This deficiency is also reflected in the size of the NHS rehabilitation workforce which is almost the smallest in the developed world.  Dame Carol Black’s 2008 Report for the Department for Work & Pensions on the national workforce revealed a loss of 178 million working days annually due to injury.</p> <p>It was with this knowledge that the DNRC Programme in its 2010 feasibility study developed its National Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) thinking which was then confirmed in the Written Ministerial Statement in 2009.  On this basis the Stanford Hall Estate was acquired in 2011 specifically as it could accommodate 2 complementary establishments (Defence and National/NHS) and because it embodied rural parkland where the tranquillity would play its part in the rehab journey as well as providing space for outdoor rehab assets.  The DNRC Programme was very clear that both establishments were to be designed in parallel to maximize the notion of ‘sharing’ as well as, jointly, taking a long term view of how clinical rehabilitation would develop over time.  Designs on this basis were submitted for planning approval which was granted in 2013 – with the patient capacity of the NRC being 70 and the Defence facility (the DMRC) being 200.  The modern design for the NRC (which was not subject to heritage considerations) put to the planning authority is shown below.</p> <p><span class="wf-responsive-container wf-responsive-container-full" role="figure"><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/993530112?portrait=0&amp;title=0&amp;byline=0" width="400" height="225" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen class="wf-responsive wf-responsive-full" ></iframe></span></p> <div class="article-photos"> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>  </main> </div> </div> </div> <footer class="container-fluid"> <div class="footer"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-lg-4 footer-left"> <p>© BS Stanford Limited 2025.</p> </div> <div class="col-lg-8 footer-right text-lg-end"> <div class="moduletable "> <div id="mod-custom237" class="mod-custom custom"> <p><a href="/contact" target="_self">Contact</a></p> <p><a href="/terms-conditions" target="_self">Terms & Conditions</a> | <a href="/modern-slavery" target="_self">Modern Slavery</a> | <a href="/dnrc-and-black-stork-charity-website-privacy-policy" target="_self">Privacy</a> | <a href="/accessibility-statement" target="_self">Accessibility</a></p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </footer> <script type="text/javascript"> document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function () { // Select all video elements within the slideshow const videos = document.querySelectorAll('.home-slider video'); // Iterate through each video and disable Picture-in-Picture videos.forEach(function (video) { video.disablePictureInPicture = true; }); }); </script> </body> </html>

CINXE.COM

The significance of the ‘National Rehabilitation Centre’ and how it has come about - Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre (DNRC)