A sensory room with state-of-the-art equipment for patients receiving neurorehabilitation has been created at Salford Royal Hospital, thanks to charitable funding.

The room was funded by NorthCare, the official charity of Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust with support from NHS Charities Together, will support patients who have experienced brain injuries and require physical or mental rehabilitation during their stay in hospital, including those suffering from symptoms of ‘long Covid’.

Kim Cochrane, Occupational Therapy Lead for Neurorehab at the hospital, said: “lots of patients only receive rehab further along in their recovery journey because they still have clinical needs and need to be cared for in hospital, rather than a rehab facility.

“Having high-quality resources to support rehabilitation here at Salford Royal means that patients can start that part of their recovery journey earlier and longer-term. It will be life changing.”

The team submitted the project for funding in 2020, requesting to transform a large storage room into an area for patient assessments and interventions, with space for a range of sensory equipment such as light activities, a projector and different seating options to allow patients with limited movement to relax and feel comfortable.

Thanks to a grant from NHS Charities Together, NorthCare Charity was able to allocate the funding required to bring the project to life, purchasing the sensory equipment which will allow staff to try a wider range of therapeutic techniques with their patients.

Karen Casper, Fundraising Officer at NorthCare Charity, cut the ribbon to officially open the new room, and said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been able to support this project, which will have a huge impact on patients and staff alike.

“The team have been innovative and creative in putting this project forward, utilising every inch of the space and choosing equipment with clinically proven results for patients who are starting their recovery journey after experiencing major trauma.

“This project is just one example of NorthCare Charity’s commitment to supporting major trauma services to go above and beyond – our current appeal aims to raise £1.4 million to fund the life-saving RAPTOR Theatre in the Greater Manchester Major Trauma Hospital.”

For more information on NorthCare Charity and their RAPTOR Appeal, visit www.northcarecharity.org/raptor.