Patients can be referred to this service by any health or care professional. Once a referral has been received staff aim to meet the patient and assess their suitability to move to the Specialist Rehabilitation Unit based in the Thistle Suite in the Bellfield Centre at Stirling Health and Care Village.

Some patients may receive in-reach rehabilitation support while they are still being cared for in another hospital or healthcare facility. In such cases, the patient will remain in the facility that is most appropriate and safe for them, while the Specialist Rehabilitation team will provide advice and support to colleagues and/or offer rehabilitation sessions, as appropriate.

As the Thistle Suite provides intensive therapy, it is important to ensure that patients are willing and able to engage in the rehabilitation process before admission to the Suite is agreed.

Please note that the Thistle Suite only accepts referrals for patients who are currently in hospital receiving inpatient care at the time of referral, not those who are living at home or in another  community-based facility.

What Happens on Admission

On arrival, patients receive an admission pack that contains general information about the unit . They also receive a rehabilitation folder with a goal setting/‘getting to know you’ document.  Patients and their families are asked to fill in any relevant information about their background and preferences which help inform their individual rehabilitation journey. During the first two weeks, the team set realistic therapy goals with patients which are then recorded in the rehabilitation folder.

To see our referral criteria, please visit this page (Staff Only):  Specialist Rehabilitation Referrals