About this location
Based in Bury, Lancashire, Priory Highbank Centre is a neurorehabilitation service, offering exceptional care and support for adults and children. We aim to provide our patients with the best opportunity to maximise potential.
Services at a glance
Contact us
Priory Highbank Centre Walmersley House Walmersley Road Bury BL9 5LX
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Services
Our brain injury services provide specialised, high quality, rehabilitation-focused treatment programmes for those living with an acquired brain injury (ABI) or progressive neurological condition (PNC). We support individuals who require immediate post-acute support, slow stream rehabilitation, or children's continuing care.
Ward break down
- Upper Walmersley Unit – 15-bedded neurorehabilitation unit for adults and children over the age of 16
- Torrance House – 5 bedded children’s unit for children from birth to 17
Conditions treated
Upper and Lower Walmersley support slow stream neurorehabilitation for people with:
- ABI/traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Spinal cord injuries
- Patients with prolonged disorders of consciousness (PDoC)
- Complex tracheostomy management, including tracheal t-tube management
- Invasive/non-invasive mechanical ventilation
- Other neurological conditions such as Guillain-Barré syndrome
- PNCs
- Complex neurodisability
Torrance House supports complex continuing care for children with:
- Brain injury or PNC
- Complex neurological conditions or inherited disorders
- Respiratory management for neurologically impaired children
- Complex neurodisability
Treatment approaches
At Priory Highbank Centre, we offer an individualised, person-centred approach to all of our patients.
Our assessments and treatment options are overseen by our in house interdisciplinary team (IDT).
We specialise in the following:
- Complex respiratory management for neurologically impaired patients
- Postural management
- Dysphagia management
- Spasticity management
- Bladder and bowel management
- Complex medication regimes
- Enteral feeding
- Epilepsy management
Slow stream rehabilitation is individualised to the patient and their needs. This includes length of stay
Our team
Our team on Upper Walmersley, Lower Walmersley and Torrance House consists of:
- Consultant physician in neurorehabilitation
- Consultant respiratory paediatrician
- Specialty doctor
- Registered nurses
- Registered children's nurses
- Healthcare assistants (HCAs)
- Consultant clinical neuro psychologist
- Occupational therapists (OTs)
- Speech and language therapists (SLTs)
- Physiotherapists
- Assistant psychologist
- Generic therapy assistants
- Dietitian
- Advocacy
- Activities co-ordinator
- Access to consultant psychiatrist
Torrance House is nurse-led, however, it has access to the IDT.
We also provide specialist staff training, including:
- Tracheostomy and tracheal t-tube management
- Respiratory pathway of the neurologically impaired patient, which includes mechanical ventilation competency based training
- Brain injury training matrix
Therapeutic and community-based activities
We support individuals with their interests and hobbies and arrange fun events to promote inclusivity, and a family and social life, enabling the individual to live their life to the fullest.
Our therapeutic and community-based activities include:
- Trips to the local community
- Site-wide celebrations for significant dates, for example valentine's and burn's night
- Local community trips including football matches, shopping centres and local cafes
Our facilities and environment
We believe that the environment in which treatment takes place is just as important as the treatment itself, when it comes to supporting our patients.
We provide:
Our garden offers enabled access, a lawn area and a patio with furniture. We also have specialised equipment within the hospital, such as sensory lighting, hoists, height-adjustable baths and access to assistive technology.
Our bedrooms
All of our bedrooms are single-occupancy and have wheelchair access.
Exclusion profile
- Patients detained under the Mental Health Act
Pathways
Priory’s network of high-quality facilities enables us to offer joined-up care pathways with our dedicated residential services. We offer programmes which integrate healthcare treatment and therapy, that are tailored according to individual needs, in an appropriate setting. Our strength is that we can provide a seamless transition for the individual as they progress between higher and lower dependency services.
The pathway for patients within Walmersley Unit and Torrance House is a step-down to Priory Adult Care's the Elton Unit.
A message from our site leader
At Priory our purpose is 'live your life'. Live your life is about helping patients we support or care for to return to the life they might once have had, or to enjoy their lives to the fullest and live as independently as possible. That means keeping our patients safe, and providing the highest standards of care and treatment. We understand that in order for people to achieve high-quality clinical outcomes, they need individually tailored programmes, suiting their specific needs.
Highbank Centre site leader
Comments from our patients and their family and friends
We called it “our little piece of heaven”
Information for family and friends
How do home visits work?
Once the person staying with us has been assessed as suitable for transport, we will liaise with them and their family to see if they wish for a home visit assessment. Once the accessibility of the home has been assessed as suitable, we will arrange home visits (if this is still something they and their family wish). Visits take place every 6 to 8 weeks.
What is your visitation policy?
Visiting times are as follows:
- Walmersley Unit - 2pm-4pm and 6pm-7pm
- There is open visiting at Torrance House
Will I be involved and kept up to date with my loved one’s care and wellbeing?
Yes, we make every effort to keep family members involved in their loved one’s care.
Will my loved one be able to have a phone or call me?
Yes, they are able to make phone calls.
What type of things are families expected to provide, and what is provided by the hospital?
Clothing and toiletries should be provided by the person’s family. Please make sure that all clothing is labelled. Some people have money with them on-site for trips out.
What are the bedrooms like?
All of our bedrooms are furnished, and people staying with us are supported to personalise them to suit their needs and wishes.
Are external doors kept locked?
All of our external doors are locked. However, every person staying with us will be individually assessed for any risks to see what security is needed.
How does laundry work?
Laundry can either be completed on-site, or if relatives wish, they can take the laundry away to complete.
Is there anything they can’t bring or have?
We have a restricted and prohibited items list, which is reviewed and updated regularly. This can be seen on request. This includes:
- Alcohol
- Candles and incense
- Explosives, including fireworks
- Toxic and poisonous substances, including illicit drugs, ‘legal highs’, psychoactive substances and poisons, for example, sodium nitrite/nitrate
- Knives - excluding cutlery provided and managed by staff
- Magnets
- Non-prescribed medication
- Razor (cut throat)
- Solvents/glue (but may be used under restriction as part of therapy)
- Weapons or replica weapons
- Wire coat hangers
Please note that this list is not exhaustive, as patients may have individual risks following risk assessments.
Are pets allowed?
Yes, with appropriate risk assessments.
How do activities work?
All units have both one-to-one and group activities. We also go on individual and group-based community trips. Activities are tailored to people’s individual interests as well as generic groups.
Do patients and families have an input into the patient’s care plans?
Yes, both people staying with us and their families are able to have input into care plans if they wish to.
What are the car parking facilities?
There is free car parking on-site.
What is the smoking policy? Can patients buy cigarettes?
We advocate non-smoking and promote smoke cessation. However, this is on an individual basis.
How is treatment accessed and funded?
We don’t take referrals directly from individuals and families. Referrals are received directly from the treating hospital or Integrated Care Board who will fund the placement. Funding will be through the correct NHS channel. Depending on the type of support needed, this could include local authority funding, NHS funding, joint funding between the local authority and NHS, or direct payments. Please note, referrals for NHS or local authority funded services must come from a referring organisation.
How to make a referral
Our customer service centre provides 24/7 support for NHS mental health enquiries and referrals. Our customer referral co-ordinators can support you from your first call right through to the enquiry conclusion, providing updates throughout the process. We offer 24/7 crisis referrals, fast access to bed availability and placements, and a single access point for end-to-end enquiry management.