Drone footage of the huge Stanford Hall site. Video: DNRC
Stunning aerial footage shows the vast scale of the project to turn Nottinghamshire’s Stanford Hall into a £300 million national rehabilitation centre for injured soldiers.
The estate, in south Notts, is being transformed into the state-of-the-art Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre (DNRC), and will open in 2018.
Soldiers injured in conflict will receive specialist treatment there after being treated at field hospitals and the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine, based at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.
The unique facility will allow patients to be treated in purpose-built facilities and benefit from the world-leading expertise of UK military medics.
The DNRC will replace the pre-existing military defence centre at Headley Court, Surrey, which has been around for 70 years.
The initiative was thought up by the former Duke of Westminster, Major General Gerald Cavendish Grosvenor, who had previously worked in the military and identified Stanford Hall as the ideal location for the new site because it is four times larger than Headley Court.
Video: Timelapse footage of the work to turn Stanford Hall into the DNRC.
A spokesperson said: “The hope is not only in providing a new military establishment. It’s big enough to incorporate national facilities in order to treat civilians and share the expertise of the Military of Defence which will benefit the nation as a whole.
“It’ll be the first centre in the UK bringing together defence medicine and national healthcare in a way to share knowledge and help people recover from major injury, and also get back to work and have full rehabilitation.”
The area of the site will be around the size of 11.5 football pitches and was chosen due to its central location and accessibility to the M1.
Two thirds of the money has been raised through charitable donations and the DNRC are encouraging people to donate to accrue the rest. Work started in the autumn last year and foundations have been laid and roofs on buildings constructed.
Once completed, it will be run by the Military of Defence.
Defence Minister Mark Lancaster visited the site on Thursday (November 15) and was accompanied by DNRC programme director, General Sir Timothy Granville-Chapman.
Mr Lancaster said: “It’s great to see the building work coming along as we remain on track to open this excellent centre in 2018, with good progress being made towards the development of the national part of the DNRC.
“The brand new defence facility will ensure that we can continue to lead the way in medical science and innovative technology to support the brave men and women who make enormous sacrifices to protect our country.”
Barry LeGrys, chief executive of Blesma, a military charity for limbless soldiers, said the DNRC will be “efficient” and “functional”.
“Headley Court is a very old site and has been operating for 70 years as a rehabilitation centre for defence, and Stanford Hall will be purpose-built. It’s a long-term facility for the best,” he added.
“It’s quite right there should be a facility for service people, injured in the course of their employment, and wounded service people to rehabilitate and recover. Rehabilitation is critical for people to make the best recovery possible.”
