In the period 2011-14 progress was rapid. A suitable 360 acre rural estate was purchased in the Midlands – the Stanford Hall Estate near Loughborough (now re-named the ‘Stanford Hall Rehabilitation Estate’ or SHRE to reflect its new purpose). The undertaking was put on a charitable footing – the ‘Black Stork Charity’ or BSC and its objectives were to be achieved through the DNRC Programme.
Designs were created for both the Defence and National establishments in parallel (in order that the concept of ‘sharing’ was applied from the outset to avoid needless duplication where it was appropriate to share). Planning permission for both establishments was sought and granted in 2013. The decision was made to build the Defence facility first as the need for it was evident and it would also provide the starting point for the ‘sharing’ envisaged by the Defence Secretary. This approach was consolidated in a further WMS in 2014 stating that construction of the Defence facility would proceed and government consideration of the National opportunity would occur in 2016. Construction duly got underway in 2015 and took 3 years to complete.
In 2016 government activity related to the National facility was not forthcoming and consequently the DNRC Programme instituted a National Workstream Steering Group (NWSG) (chaired by a distinguished former Chief Executive of NHS England) to make progress on the national opportunity front.
By 2018 construction of the new MoD facility (officially known as the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre or DMRC) was nearing completion.
A handover event to the MoD was held in June that year. Three hundred people attended including the Patron of the DNRC Programme (Prince William), the Prime Minister Teresa May (accepting the gift on the nation’s behalf) and all the major donors. The 2½ minute video gives a feel for that remarkable day.
The DMRC became operational in October 2018. It has treated patients ever since and will do so throughout the 45 years of its lease. So, the ‘D’ in the DNRC Programme had been achieved. A feel for the new DMRC’s architecture and design, both outside and inside. is shown in the 2 short videos below:
It was then time to switch all the DNRC Programme’s resources to the ‘N’ in the DNRC Programme – the ultimate prize.