A KEY rehabilitation service for vulnerable patients at Inverclyde Royal has been overhauled.

The former physically disabled rehabilitation unit (PDRU) - which looks after people who have suffered a neurological injury, major trauma or who are living with a neurodegenerative disease - has now been renamed the neurorehabilitation unit and will go back to the Larkfield Unit.

Health chiefs say there will be a fundamental redesign of how care is delivered now and into the future, with 'significant investment in new staff and services'.

The changes come after a campaign by patients, staff and third-sector organisations.

Over the last few years, staffing pressures resulted in the service being operated out of two separate locations, with people receiving in-patient care being moved to other wards at night for safety reasons, before being moved back to PDRU the following morning to continue their treatment.

The new investment will see the service returning to the Larkfield Unit on a full-time basis.

A new investment from the health board has allowed the recruitment of new consultants and new nurses for IRH.

This means patients can now stay in the unit overnight, allowing for more comfort, stability and increased continuity of care.

Louise Watson, site lead at Inverclyde Royal Hospital, says this shows a commitment to the hospital from the health board.

She said: “I am delighted that the service has now returned to the excellent facilities within the Larkfield Unit on a full-time basis.

“This move brings more continuity to our patient-centred care, within the most appropriate setting.

“Our highly skilled team provide an excellent level of specialist care to our patients and this move emphasises the continued investment in services and staff at the IRH.”