Stroke Rehabilitation Unit

The Stroke Rehabilitation Unit (SRU) has replaced the acute stroke unit at Walsall Manor Hospital.

All acute strokes in Walsall are now directed to New Cross Hospital for hyper-acute and acute stroke care and treatment. The SRU accepts patients who live in the Walsall borough and referrals are taken directly from New Cross Hospital.

The Acute Stroke Unit at New Cross refers patients to the SRU when they feel that the patient is medically stable and that they have rehabilitation needs that would be best met in an inpatient facility, rather than the patient returning home with therapist support. The service meets with the patient and their family within one week of admission to discuss and set mutually agreed realistic goals. There is no time limit for how long a patient may stay on the SRU, as long as they still have ongoing rehab needs, and the SRU is still of benefit to them.

The unit is open 24/7 and has a team of nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and doctors on the unit. Speech therapists, dieticians, and psychologists also visit regularly. There are also ‘stroke buddies’ who are volunteers that visit the ward twice a week and who are very good listeners that have either previously suffered a stroke or cared for someone who has.

Once a patient is ready for discharge they are usually discharged home, with or without care support. Following discharge, stroke patients are transferred to the care of the Community Stroke Team. All patients going home will receive a post-discharge telephone call at two weeks and a visit at six weeks from a community stroke nurse.