A SPECIALIST unit for people with brain injuries has opened on the Countess of Chester Health Park.

Private company St George Healthcare Group has invested £6m in St Cyril’s Rehabilitation Unit which will be a North West centre for the rehabilitation of patients with complex rehabilitation needs.

The 20-bed unit boasts a highly equipped physiotherapy gym, therapy rooms and a hydrotherapy pool.

The opening of the centre marks the end of a saga which saw the former NHS Primary Care Trust building the unit in 2005 at a cost of £3m without it ever being occupied.

Successor body Western Cheshire Primary Care Trust finally managed to sell the unit to St George Healthcare Group earlier this year, for the amount it cost to build.

The facility will accept patients from December 2009 and cater for patients with specialist neuro rehabilitation requirements such as individuals who may have suffered a stroke, MS, spinal injuries, acquired brain injuries, neuro degenerative disorders and neuromuscular disorders.

St Cyril’s highly specialised facility will be managed by Dr Ashraf Azer, consultant in rehabilitation medicine.

The facility, opened by the Lord Mayor of Chester John Ebo, will enable patients from across the region to receive specialist treatment without having to move far from home, ensuring full support of family and carers.

Warrington-based St George Healthcare currently provides ‘a holistic’ neuro-behavioural rehabilitation programme for the most challenging and complex brain injury patients.

In addition, deaf people with mental health needs have access to a range of treatment and therapies unavailable on the NHS.