The trust says the decision was taken after a ‘detailed review’ and have cited ‘significant’ running costs along with ‘estate, compliance and operational pressures’07:47, 09 Jul 2026Updated 07:47, 09 Jul 2026A grandad who learned how to walk again has slammed a 'disgraceful' decision by NHS bosses to cut 'lifesaver' rehabilitation services.‌Keith Wardle was previously fit and until he collapsed with a rare condition while on holiday. The 77-year-old was visiting his daughter in Boston in the USA in October 2022 when he suddenly fell ill.‌He was rushed to hospital where, following scans, he was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare neurological condition that affects people’s senses and movements.‌Dad-of-one and grandad Keith, from Stockport, Greater Manchester, was ventilated and unconscious for around a month before he was eventually flown back to the UK by air ambulance. His ordeal did not end when he landed at Manchester Airport.Keith was whisked away to Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport where he spent around a fortnight in the intensive care unit (ICU). He was later transferred to a local specialist rehab centre where he had to begin re-learning to walk along with other basic daily tasks such as brushing his teeth, reports the Manchester Evening News.After returning home, Keith began physio and part of his treatment was sessions in Stepping Hill's hydrotherapy pool. The facility is a specialist warm-water pool that can help relieve pain and improve joint mobility by using water’s buoyancy to reduce joint stress and the warmth of the water to relax muscles.‌After his initial sessions with a physio, Keith began booking weekly sessions at the pool in order to do his own rehab work. However, at the end of last month he was given the news that the Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Stepping Hill, had decided to close the pool at the end of September.‌Until then, as part of a transition phase, patients are being transferred to different services and Keith has been told he is unable to book any more sessions.“It has been a lifeline for me,” he said. “A lifesaver in fact."With my condition balance is a big issue. I can’t stand on one leg and if I close my eyes, even with two feet on the ground, there’s a chance I could fall. With the pool it doesn’t matter too much if you fall, you’re not going to seriously hurt yourself.‌“It has given me the opportunity to exercise myself in controlled conditions. It has given me dignity and helped me build my confidence. The benefits have been incalcuble.”He described the decision to close it as ‘disgraceful’ and slammed the trust for making it without consulting staff and patients.The trust says the decision was taken after a ‘detailed review’ and have cited ‘significant’ running costs and ‘estate, compliance and operational pressures’ as being among the reasons for it.‌Keith says there are private hydrotherapy pools in the region but that his research has shown these require an assessment costing around £85 and then around £25 per session, compared to just £7 at Stepping Hill, which is ‘too much’ for him and likely out of the budgets of other patients.He has regained the ability to walk again, but still requires the use of a walking aid and sometimes a wheelchair, and Keith fears his recovery will be ‘seriously slowed down’ as a result of the move.The trust says all patients will ‘supported to transition to alternative rehabilitation support, self-management, community-based options or discharge’ depending on patient’s needs.‌“I appreciate it won’t be cheap to heat the pool and run it” Keith said. “But I think it’s a cost worth bearing.“I can’t put into words the difference it has made to me and I know I’m not alone. I know people who travel on two or three buses to get here. It’s also not just outpatients but inpatients as well.‌“I think this is a financially driven decision which has been made by people who are only thinking of the bottom line. They have likely never used one so don’t fully understand it and the difference it can make.”He has contacted his MP Lisa Smart as part of his bid to persuade the trust to reverse their decision.A spokesperson for the trust said: “Following a review of clinical need, best practice guidance and sustainability, our hydrotherapy unit will close on 30 September 2026.Article continues below“Patients will continue to receive support through alternative evidence-based rehabilitation pathways.“While we recognise hydrotherapy has been valued by many, our priority is to provide rehabilitation services that are safe, effective, clinically appropriate and sustainable for the wider patient population.”