Implementing a new model of residential rehabilitation: findings and future recommendations.

Introduction: Musculoskeletal injury is one of the leading causes of medical discharge in the UK Armed Forces. Residential rehabilitation (RR) courses are part of Defence rehabilitation, for service personnel (SP) who do not respond to treatment at primary care. Historically, it was delivered as a 3-week block model.

Lessons learned from early rehabilitation of complex trauma at the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine.

During the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, substantial numbers of service personnel survived devastating injuries, presenting significant challenges for early rehabilitation at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham. Royal Centre for Defence Medicine personnel augmented NHS therapy provision, gaining significant experience in rehabilitating complex trauma. Multidisciplinary working was key to delivering this service, with a unique rehabilitation coordinating officer position established to manage the rehabilitation pathway.