50 years of NRH - Rehab staff take a bow

WHEN the National Rehabilitation Hospital was founded half a century ago, few could have anticipated how valuable its services would prove for the nation.

For many a jockey unseated at a fence, or a child who developed a viral infection or fell off a bike, or a rugby player who suffered a spinal injury, a spell at the hospital has been a life-changing experience.

Thanks to its comprehensive range of specialist rehabilitation services, coupled with the dedication and patience of its staff, quality of life has been improved for thousands of adults and children who acquired either a physical or cognitive disability as a result of an accident, illness or injury.

How much it deserves to be supported is self-evident. Since it was set up in 1961, in conjunction with the Department of Health and the Sisters of Mercy, the hospital has treated an average of 400 new patients a year and deals annually with around 600 return patients. With 119 beds and 360 staff, its services include treatment for brain injury and stroke, spinal injury, prosthetic rehabilitation, and family-centred paediatric rehab.

On the 50th anniversary of the founding of the NRH, the long line of people responsible for running Ireland’s centre of excellence in the field of medical rehabilitation should take a bow.