We accept referrals from GPs, consultants, or other healthcare professionals (please contact the service if you need a referral form). We also will accept self-referrals from patients who have accessed our service in the past.

Once a referral is received, a patient will be offered an initial assessment to determine if we are the right service to meet their needs. Once this is established, the assessment will focus on what the patient wants to achieve by working with our service (we call these ‘patient centred goals’).

The patient will then be placed on therapy waiting lists for the professionals they need to help them work towards their goals.

Our goal waiting times are up to four weeks for a priority referral and twelve weeks for a routine referral. Unfortunately, our waiting times are longer than we would like at present, but we are working hard to reduce these.

Whilst patients are waiting to be seen by our service, we encourage them to watch this video (Goals: Leeds Community Healthcare Youtube). Patient engagement in rehabilitation is extremely important and we hope this video will help patients and their families to think about what goals they would like the service to support them to work on.

At the end of a patient’s episode of care, their therapists will provide them with advice about how they can continue to work on their goals.

Sometimes, it is felt that the patient will benefit from a short stay in a therapy bed when it is felt that the therapy needed can not be delivered at home or in community settings. This will be discussed between patients and their therapists and will be offered in a community bed.

If you have been invited to an appointment or group at St Mary’s Hospital, we expect that you will attend via your own transport, taxi, private car or bus.

If for any reason you are struggling to get to your appointment or group, please contact and discuss this with us.

Here is some useful contact information to support you with getting to your appointment or group.

Getting to St Mary’s Hospital

The following may help you:

• Bus 16 or 16a wheelchair accessible: Seacroft to Pudsey. Every 10 minutes from Monday to Friday daytime. Stops directly outside the Hospital on Green Hill Road. Visit Wymetro website
• Leeds alternative travel will take you door to door for a small charge 0113 386 8880
• Contact Leeds Directory: for information about local travel schemes.
  • Phone: 0113 391 8333
  • Leeds Council website
• If you receive the high rate mobility component of the disability living allowance or PIP (PIP enhanced rate) or War pensioner mobility supplement you must use this to pay for your transport costs to appointment or group.

Travel costs

If you are on a low income you may be able to claim for a refund of your travel costs under the healthcare travel costs (HTC) scheme.

To find out if you are eligible and how to claim, visit the NHS Choices website or phone 0845 610 1112 to order a paper copy of the travel claim form and eligibility document (HC, HC11).

You can ring the Patient Experience team in Leeds.

Please keep receipts and records of your journeys.

Change in circumstances

If your situation changes and you are unable to attend your appointment or group, please contact the Community Neurological Rehabilitation service.

Parking

There is limited parking available (Including blue badge spaces) on the St Mary’s Hospital site for patients, staff and visitors. Parking is free.

• The Stroke Association
• Leeds Community Equipment services
• Care and Repair
• Adult Social Care
• Leeds Teaching Hospital: Wheelchairs
• William Merritt Disabled Living and Mobility Centre
• The Welfare Right Unit
• Carers Leeds
• The MS Society UK
• Headway: The brain injury association
• Parkinson’s UK
• FND Hope
• Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust: Orthotics
• UP: The Adult Cerebral Palsy Movement