Information for Solicitors

Our Expertise

The Oxford Centre for Enablement (OCE) is a specialist rehabilitation service run with expertise in the assessment and treatment of many long-term, disabling conditions affecting people at any age, especially neurological conditions. OCE is world-renowned for its first-class, innovative treatment and rehabilitation of victims of catastrophic injury.

The Centre has considerable experience clinically, educationally and in research. It can also draw on considerable knowledge of other experts and expert services within the United Kingdom and Europe.

The OCE have particular expertise in:

  • All neurological and neuromuscular conditions such as traumatic brain injury (head injury), stroke, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis and hypoxic brain damage
  • All aspects of behavioural or neuro-psychiatric and neuro-psychological problems (e.g. anti-social behaviour, amnesia, dysexecutive syndrome)
  • Prosethetics (amputation)
  • Functional disorders ("non-organic" disorders)
  • Permanent Vegetative state and low awareness state, spasticity, mood disturbance etc

The Centre have a wide range of professionals and can draw upon expertise from other clinical specialties and research teams including specialist orthopaedic surgeons.

Expert Consultancy Service

This service includes:

  • Medico-legal reports on condition and prognosis, and on some areas of negligence
  • Reports for other legal processes (e.g. on patients in permanent vegetative state)
  • Second opinions and expert clinical reports to health and non-health organisations
  • Advice on service development and management

It specifically includes legal practices involved in settling personal injury and medical negligence cases where long-term disability is an issue.

Medico-legal reports

Medical-legal reports can be provided for:

  • Medico-legal personal injury claims
  • Clinical negligence claims
  • Disputed clinical judgements and practice (e.g. provision of second opinion)

This may be funded by:

The Centre also have experience of appearing in court, writing reports and chairing complex meetings.

Facilities

The OCE is located in the grounds of the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in a modern, purpose-built building. Its facilities enable patients to be taught skills from basic self-care through to preparing to return to work following illness or accident.

The Centre has several attractive gardens, a central courtyard for patients, relatives and carers, a terrace area from the main gym and a mobility garden. A purpose-built flat, known as the Independent Living Unit, can house patients, their partners or carers and can be used for step-down care prior to returning home or for short-term assessments.

Additional facilities on the main hospital site include:

Hydrotherapy pool
Therapy gardens
Gait laboratory to assess walking patterns
State-of-the-art diagnostic imaging department

For further information please contact Susan Cross, General Manager on 01865 227599 or email susan.cross@noc.nhs.uk.