Countess of Chester Hospital hosting new online neurotherapy service

Stroke patients receiving neurotherapy care from the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust can now access therapy sessions from the comfort of their own homes thanks to a new online neurorehabilitation service.

The NROL (Neuro Rehabilitation Online) project, which went live in September, offers a rehabilitation programme to stroke patients via real-time group sessions that are led by experienced NHS therapists from hospital trusts across Cheshire and Merseyside.

Delivered virtually on Microsoft Teams, the sessions focus on different areas of therapy, including physical and cognitive rehabilitation, talking therapy and community support, with each one designed to improve patients' understanding of how the brain and body work, boost their confidence and provide guidance on managing their symptoms.

The aim of the service, which has been funded by the Stroke Quality Improvement for Rehabilitation team, (SQUIRE) is to increase access to neurorehabilitation by offering more opportunities to supervised therapy and additional support in a convenient, real-time format. 

NROL is available to all stroke patients currently undergoing therapy at the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Cheshire and Wirral Partnership (CWP) Trust and other trusts in Cheshire and Merseyside, with their therapists encouraged to refer their patients to the project to help increase the frequency and intensity of their rehabilitation.

This ensures they receive the ongoing support they need for recovery.

Ruth Hatcher, one of the Rehab leads for the Cheshire and Mersey Integrated Stroke Delivery Network, said: