Dr Ludwig Guttmann

When Chaseley opened its doors in 1946, its first medical consultant was Dr Ludwig Guttmann — a German-born neurologist whose work changed how the UK cared for people with spinal and neurological injuries. His belief that patients should be supported to lead active lives helped shape modern rehabilitation care at Chaseley, where therapy, social activity and movement are part of everyday life.

Guttmann had fled Nazi Germany in 1939 and went on to lead the National Spinal Injuries Centre at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, where he combined medical treatment with exercise and competition to rebuild strength and purpose for injured servicemen. That approach led him to organise what became the first Stoke Mandeville Games in 1948 — the start of the Paralympic Games — earning him the affectionate nickname “Poppa” from his patients and the wider sporting world.

At Chaseley, the early residents were sent here from Stoke Mandeville after initial treatment for their wartime spinal injuries. They arrived into a care environment influenced by Guttmann’s thinking, where physio, occupational therapy and purposeful activities were part of daily life. That way of working helped give people a sense of routine, self-worth and community — principles that still guide Chaseley today.

Even after he retired, Guttmann would regularly come down to Eastbourne to check on his “Chaseley boys,” and some of those “boys” went on to be medal winners in the Paralympics.