Active Care Group announces development of new private specialist rehabilitation hospital
Complex care provider Active Care Group and charity partner WheelPower have announced an agreement that will enable the development of a new private rehabilitation hospital in Stoke Mandeville – a significant investment in the future of specialist spinal and neurological rehabilitation.
Located next to Stoke Mandeville’s National Spinal Injuries Centre, the new 52-bed Active Neuro Stoke Mandeville Private Rehabilitation Hospital will treat approximately 250 patients a year, offering timely access to specialist spinal and neurological rehabilitation. The hospital will be developed on an existing site at Stoke Mandeville Stadium, which is owned by the charity.
The development represents a major milestone for Active Neuro and Active Care Group, creating a best-in-class specialist rehabilitation environment at one of the UK’s most significant locations for spinal injury care, disability sport and rehabilitation.
By combining expert multidisciplinary care, cutting-edge rehabilitation technology and high-quality therapeutic spaces, the hospital will set a new benchmark for patient experience, recovery and long-term outcomes.
The new hospital will be designed around the needs of patients and families with specialist clinical, therapeutic and communal spaces that support rehabilitation at every stage of recovery. This includes state-of-the-art rehabilitation environments designed for spinal and neurological recovery, including robotic gait and arm training, virtual-reality balance systems, augmented-reality therapy and neuromuscular stimulation.
High-quality inpatient and day therapy areas will support intensive, multidisciplinary rehabilitation as well as a dedicated ventilated high-dependency unit (HDU) to support patients with complex respiratory and medical needs.
Two technology-enabled, AI-integrated step-down flats will enable patients to safely practice daily activities before returning home. There will be a specialist hydrotherapy pool designed to support accessible, patient-centred rehabilitation for patients with spinal injuries and clients with disabilities.
Purpose-built communal and therapeutic spaces will be designed to enhance recovery, participation and patient experience, including a cinema room, outdoor wellbeing spaces and other areas that support rehabilitation beyond the clinical setting.
Family accommodation will also be included to support recovery, participation and reintegration, as well as a purpose-built AI learning, education and conference hub aimed at advancing research, innovation and quality in rehabilitation treatment and care.
The hospital is expected to create numerous skilled jobs across clinical, therapy, nursing, operational and support roles, bringing investment into the local community and helping to grow specialist rehabilitation capability in the UK.
Keith Browner, Chief Executive Officer, Active Care Group, said: “The new Active Neuro Stoke Mandeville Private Rehabilitation Hospital is a landmark investment in the future of specialist spinal and neurological rehabilitation. It will offer a gold standard in rehabilitation care, bringing together world-class specialists and facilities with advanced rehabilitation technologies and techniques that are rarely available together in one rehabilitation setting.
“This investment reflects our long-term commitment to transforming outcomes for people recovering from life-changing injuries, ensuring they can access the very best rehabilitation care to make the fullest possible recovery.
“We are proud to be working with WheelPower at Stoke Mandeville, and contributing to the area’s proud heritage in rehabilitation.”
More than 105,000 people in the UK are living with a spinal cord injury, with around 4,700 people injured or diagnosed each year.[i] For many people, specialist rehabilitation is a critical part of rebuilding their lives after injury, helping them adapt, recover and regain as much independence as possible.
Rob Wilson, Chairman of WheelPower, said: “I am delighted that we are able to bring rehabilitation services back to our site. It is something that we set out in our five-year strategic plan as it will make such a difference – particularly as we know that a spinal cord injury can have such a profound impact on every part of a person’s life, affecting mobility, independence, confidence and overall quality of life. It was also part of the original vision of our founder, Sir Ludwig Guttmann.
“Rehabilitation services, coupled with an established route into sport, can make a profound difference to the thousands of people each year who experience life-changing spinal injuries and need access to specialist, ongoing services to help them recover and rebuild their lives. We will now have all these important services on one site.
“WheelPower is proud to facilitate and support the development of this new hospital in Stoke Mandeville, helping more people access the treatment, rehabilitation and the support they need to achieve the fullest possible recovery and to regain their independence.”
In 2025, wheelchair sport charity WheelPower launched a short online course designed to help teachers, coaches, physiotherapists, and occupational therapists adapt their sport and physical activity sessions to suit wheelchair users.
