The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH) in Stanmore has completed fundraising for the first Lyra Gait Trainer to be installed in the NHS.
The RNOH Charity raised £150,000 to purchase the device, which supports spinal cord injury patients in their rehabilitation, allowing them to complete up to 20 times more walking practice than before. The Lyra is now operational at the RNOH’s Stanmore site.
Keith Andrews from West Sussex, one of the first patients to use the Lyra, had surgery at RNOH in 2024 to remove a spinal tumour. While the surgery was successful, Keith was unable to walk afterward and required intensive rehabilitation to regain movement.
Keith said: “The tumour was inside my spinal cord so it was a very delicate operation and resulted in a numb feeling in my legs. Having had the surgery and after lying on my back for so long, the muscle wastage was also obvious. I need to build up my legs again.”
The Lyra Gait Trainer reduces the number of physiotherapists needed to support patients during rehabilitation and allows them to practice walking for longer periods. Keith made 100 steps during his first session with the device, and 200 steps in the next, five weeks after his surgery.
Keith added: “What’s innovative about this machine is that it gives you the feeling of walking. That’s ideal for my recovery and what they do at this hospital. The service they provide here is beyond belief. To those who supported this initiative, I can’t thank you enough.”
RNOH’s Lead Physiotherapist, Benita Hexter, said: “We are so pleased to receive this addition to the equipment we have to help the rehabilitation of those with spinal cord injury. The Lyra Gait Trainer is already helping people to practise walking sooner and for longer than we were able to achieve before and the results are remarkable. Patients are delighted to be able to set out more easily on what can be a really challenging rehabilitation journey.”
Hexter added: “The Lyra is making an enormous difference to patients and helping our teams to do more. We hope to demonstrate the impact of robot-assisted gait training and inspire the NHS to find ways to make such opportunities available across the country. We’d like to send our sincere thanks to all of the RNOH Charity supporters who helped to make this a reality for everyone who needs it, now and in the future.”
The RNOH Charity supports the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in providing advanced medical technology and enhanced patient care. The purchase of the Lyra Gait Trainer was made possible through the generosity of the Charity’s donors.
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