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Stroke Rehabilitation - the real work happens after the drug.

A consultant-led rehab team with proper therapy dose - not a physio appointment once a week and hope.

See indicative pricing
A radiographer guides a patient onto the bed of an advanced 3 Tesla MRI scanner in a London imaging suite

Indicative pricing

What stroke rehabilitation costs privately in the UK.

Indicative ranges across our partner units.

In short

Intensive outpatient bundle: £1,800–£3,600, delivered over 6–12 weeks.

Service Indicative range
Inpatient neurorehabilitation (per week) £4,500–£8,500
Intensive outpatient bundle (12 sessions) £1,800–£3,600
Early supported discharge team (per week) £850–£1,400
Consultant rehab medicine assessment £350–£550
Neuropsychology assessment £450–£850
Botulinum toxin for spasticity £650–£1,400
Constraint-induced movement therapy programme £2,800–£4,500

Acute inpatient neurorehab is often covered under private medical insurance.

The problem

The right therapy, delivered enough, often enough.

Post-stroke rehab in the UK varies wildly by postcode. Dose, specificity and consultant-led planning are the three levers that decide outcome.

  • Dose is under-delivered

    A single physio session a week is not rehab. NICE says 45 minutes of each relevant therapy, 5 days a week.

  • Plateau is usually a therapy problem

    Six months in and progress stalled? Nine times out of ten the dose has dropped, not the potential.

  • Mood and cognition get skipped

    One in three survivors has depression; many more have cognitive changes. Both are treatable - and both are silent-killers for progress.

When it helps

The situations where this is the right step.

The situations we see most, plus the red flag that means urgent care rather than a routine appointment.

  • Fresh stroke, 2–8 weeks in

    The steepest window for gains - inpatient or intensive outpatient rehab pays back the biggest returns here.

  • Plateau at 3–6 months

    Not the end of recovery - usually a dose problem. A restart with focused therapy often unlocks a further tranche of gains.

  • Persisting arm and hand weakness

    Constraint-induced movement therapy, robotic-assisted therapy and mirror therapy have evidence - and we deliver them.

  • Aphasia and dysarthria

    Intensive speech therapy with an aphasia-specialist SLT, not a general clinician squeezed in.

  • Post-stroke fatigue and mood

    One in three survivors - screened, treated with medication where needed, and layered with graded activity.

  • Cognitive changes

    Attention, memory, executive function - neuropsychology assessment, then targeted strategies with OT.

  • Spasticity limiting function

    Botulinum toxin injections at 3-monthly intervals, plus stretching and orthotics - reduces pain and improves function.

  • Return-to-work planning

    Vocational rehab with graded return, employer letter, DVLA advice, and cognitive workplace assessment.

Options

Approach and extent depend on the case.

What each option involves - and where each earns its place.

  • Inpatient neurorehabilitation

    A ward with 24/7 nursing, daily therapy from a consultant-led team, and weekly goal setting. For dependent patients and complex needs.

  • Early supported discharge

    Home earlier, with the rehab team visiting daily. Best outcomes for mild-to-moderate strokes with good home support.

  • Intensive outpatient bundle

    Two to three sessions per week for 6–12 weeks, with a written home programme. For plateau, work return and specific goals.

  • Constraint-induced movement therapy

    Two-week intensive block restraining the good arm to force use of the weak one. Evidence-based, well-tolerated in the right patient.

  • Robotic and technology-assisted therapy

    Robotic gait trainers, upper-limb robotics, functional electrical stimulation, VR-based tasks - add-ons where they suit the patient.

  • Neuropsychology

    Cognitive assessment and rehabilitation, mood therapy (CBT), family support, and driving assessment where indicated.

  • Spasticity clinic

    Botulinum toxin injections, oral antispastics, splinting and stretching - reviewed every 3 months.

  • Vocational rehabilitation

    Structured return-to-work planning with the employer, graded hours, cognitive workplace assessment and DVLA guidance.

Our vetted UK network

A small, hand-picked panel of clinicians.

Consultants across London and the major UK cities. Introductions are private once we understand your case.

  • Consultant in rehabilitation medicine leading every case

  • MDT with neuro-specialist physio, OT, SLT, neuropsychology

  • Access to spasticity clinic and orthotics on site

  • Structured outcome measures at admission, 6 weeks and discharge

Safety and recovery

What to expect - honestly.

The things worth planning for, and the red flags that mean same-day care.

  • Falls and fatigue

    The two biggest safety issues in the first 6 months. Falls training, medication review, and pacing built into every programme.

  • Post-stroke depression

    Screened at 6 weeks and 3 months - treated with CBT, medication, or both. Untreated depression is a rehab-killer.

  • Shoulder subluxation and pain

    A hemiplegic arm needs careful positioning, slings where indicated, and early scapular retraining to prevent frozen shoulder.

  • Spasticity progression

    Untreated spasticity leads to contractures. Regular review, stretching, splinting and botulinum toxin at 3-monthly intervals.

  • Aspiration and swallow safety

    SLT-led swallow reassessment before every diet upgrade. Videofluoroscopy or FEES where indicated.

  • Constraint-induced therapy tolerance

    Not for everyone - assessment first for motor threshold, motivation and safety.

  • Driving readiness

    DVLA rules - one month off after TIA or stroke, longer for HGV. Formal driving assessment where cognitive or visual deficits remain.

  • Recurrent stroke risk

    Rehab does not replace secondary prevention. BP, statin, antiplatelet or anticoagulant, and AF surveillance continue in parallel.

  • Red flags during rehab

    New deficit, sudden severe headache, worsening speech or a fall with head injury is same-day A&E, not the next therapy session.

Reading your notes

Your report in four parts. Read the last one first.

Whatever the pathway, the summary keeps to the same shape.

  1. 01 Baseline

    Admission scores

    Modified Rankin, Barthel Index, NIHSS, arm motor scores, aphasia severity. The numbers we measure against later.

  2. 02 Programme

    Therapy dose delivered

    Minutes of physio, OT, SLT and neuropsychology per week. Not what was offered - what was delivered.

  3. 03 Progress

    Interval outcomes

    Repeat scores at 6 weeks. Goals achieved, revised or dropped. Family and employer conversations documented.

  4. 04 Plan

    Discharge and follow-up

    Read this first: home programme, community team, spasticity plan, mood plan, driving and work advice.

Recognised by major UK insurers

BupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealix

Frequently asked

Everything we get asked about stroke rehabilitation.

  • When should rehab start?

    Within 24 to 48 hours of a stroke - early mobilisation and swallow assessment happen on the hyperacute unit. Formal rehab usually starts within a week, and intensity ramps up from there.

  • How long does recovery take?

    The steepest gains are in the first 3 months, meaningful gains continue to 12 months, and slower progress runs beyond. Dose and specificity matter more than time - the right therapy, delivered enough, keeps working long after the textbook says it stops.

  • Is 45 minutes of therapy a day actually delivered?

    NICE recommends 45 minutes of each relevant therapy, 5 days a week. In many settings that dose is under-delivered because of staffing.

  • What about arm and hand recovery?

    Repetition, task-specificity and dose. Constraint-induced movement therapy, mirror therapy, functional electrical stimulation and robotic-assisted therapy all have evidence - and we deliver them where they suit the patient.

  • How much does private stroke rehab cost in the UK?

    Inpatient neurorehab runs £4,500–£8,500 per week. An intensive outpatient bundle of 12 sessions is £1,800–£3,600. Early supported discharge is £850–£1,400 per week. Insurance often covers acute rehab where policies allow; long-course rehab is a mixed picture we clarify up front.

  • Can rehab help years after a stroke?

    Yes. Plateau is usually a dose problem, not a recovery limit. A structured restart with a consultant-led team frequently unlocks further gains, particularly in gait, arm function and speech.

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