The Princess Royal Spinal Cord Injuries Centre, located at the Northern General Hospital, is the second largest in the UK. It is one of eight centres in England designated to receive and treat patients with spinal cord injuries. Serving a population stretching as far as East Anglia, it is the regional centre for excellence for Yorkshire, North and North-West England, the East, West Midlands and East Midlands.
VR (Virtual Reality) and EC (Environmental Control) technology have the potential to revolutionise the way that spinal cord injury rehabilitation is delivered. Charitable funding was approved to establish the first in-UK facility among all NHS Spinal Injuries Rehabilitation Centres to provide a comprehensive virtual reality and environmental control provision.
Access to innovative technology can help to enhance autonomy in mobility and improve quality of life for patients.
EC allows patients with extremely limited mobility to perform simple tasks that they otherwise would be unable to do independently – like change the TV channel or even call a loved one. VR can provide patients with severe grades of paralysis in hands and legs a safe and controlled environment to practise functional tasks
Michelle Thompson, Discharge Coordinator Spinal Injuries Centre, said:
“Access to assisted technology, enables patients to have their own voice, and to be heard at probably the most vulnerable time of their life. You can gain independence and learn that there is life after a spinal cord injury.”
Nick Bell, a former patient the Spinal Injuries Centre, said:
“When I couldn’t move my feet or feel my legs, I knew I had some sort of spinal injury. For a long time after, I’d be in the hospital bed and thinking to myself, why me? how I am here? I just wanted my partner to take me home, not realising the extent of my injuries.
After my accident, I felt like I was lost. I felt useless. I wanted to give up and I didn’t want to bother anyone. When you do get that independence back, it is the best thing ever. It changes your life massively and funding for VR and EC technology will change so many other lives.
The technology will be amazing for patients. Sometimes you just want to cry but you’ve got to wake up and say I’m not going to let this defeat me. It’s so important to stay motivated and keep pushing yourself.
For people to be able to communicate with their families, with their children, and have independence without having to call a nurse over makes such a difference."
Published: Tuesday 1st of April 2025