New Wing Opens at Police Rehabilitation Centre

25 July 2011, 05:00

A police rehabilitation centre in the Thames Valley is opening its new extension today, helping the treat more injured current and ex-police officers.

Flint House in Goring, South Oxfordshire, helps more than 3,000 injured police officers every year. Phase one of their extension is now complete. It includes 30 extra beds and improved physiotherapy facilities.

Lyndon Filer is their Chief Executive. He told Heart why Flint House is so important:

"The amount of rehab that their likely to get in the NHS or inhouse in the police services is likely to be very limited in the future. And so it's quite essential to get them back to duty as soon as possible. So police officers need to come here and we anticipate quite a heavy workload over the next few years."

Flint House is one of two centres across the country that help injured current and ex-police officers. Lyndon told us they're a lifeline for officers, especially with budget cuts.

"With the austerity measures coming into the police service, many of the police forces are having to cut back on their occupational health provision and therefore there's less physiotherapy. Injured police officers will more and more come to Fleet House for the services we provide."

The new facilities had the Royal seal of approval in February when The Duchess of Cornwall was shown around Flint House.