FND support in Hertfordshire depends on which side of the county your GP is in. The specialist NHS functional neurological disorder service sits at Danesbury Neurological Centre in Welwyn, and it covers East and North Hertfordshire. If you live in St Albans, Harpenden or Hemel Hempstead, your community neuro rehabilitation runs through a different organisation entirely.
Nobody tells families this, and it is the single most useful thing to know before you start asking for help. It changes who you contact, what you ask for, and how long it takes.
This article sets out what exists where, how referrals work, and what to do if the service you need is on the other side of the boundary. We wrote it for families in Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield, Welwyn and the villages around them, and for anyone in the county trying to work out where to start. We are Starling Homecare, a family-run provider registered with the Care Quality Commission, and FND is one of the conditions we support people with at home across Hertfordshire.
This article is general information written to raise awareness of FND. It is not medical advice. FND affects everyone differently, and what helps one person can be wrong for another, which is why we build every care plan around the individual. Please talk to your own GP, neurologist or therapy team about your situation.
Where is the specialist FND service in Hertfordshire?
Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust runs a neuro community rehabilitation team based at Danesbury Neurological Centre, School Lane, Welwyn, AL6 9SB. Its own service description says the team incorporates a specialist acquired brain injury service and a Functional Neurological Disorder service.
The team includes clinical psychology, occupational therapy, physiotherapy and rehabilitation assistants, alongside specialist nurses for Parkinson's and MS and a neurological navigator. The team offers treatment at home, in outpatient clinics or in groups, depending on need.
That combination matters for FND specifically, because the treatments that help are rehabilitation therapies rather than medication. Having physiotherapy and psychology in the same team is the model the condition needs.
Who can use the FND service in Welwyn?
Adults over 18 with a consultant-diagnosed neurological condition, registered with a GP in East or North Hertfordshire.
For Welwyn Hatfield families that is the local service. For anyone in St Albans, Harpenden, Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted, Tring, Watford or Radlett, it is not, because those areas sit in west Hertfordshire.
Referrals come from local hospitals, GPs, other health professionals and tertiary centres, and go to [email protected]. You can reach the service on 0300 123 7571. Self-referral is possible, but only for patients and families who have been seen by the service in the past year, so for most people the route is through the GP or the neurologist.
What if you live in west Hertfordshire?
Community services for Dacorum, Hertsmere, St Albans and Harpenden, and Watford are provided by Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust, whose Hertfordshire base is Harpenden Memorial Hospital on Carlton Road. Its service list includes community neuro rehabilitation.
You reach adult community services there through the Hertfordshire single point of access on 0300 020 0656. It is open seven days a week from 8am to 8pm.
We would ask one specific question rather than a general one. Instead of asking for neuro rehabilitation, ask what provision the service has for functional neurological disorder in particular, and whether physiotherapy and psychology can be involved together. FND is not treated like other neurological conditions, and the answer you get to that question tells you what you are actually being offered.
What should you ask your GP for?
Three things, and it helps to be specific.
A confirmed diagnosis from a neurologist, if there is not one already. The community services above require a consultant-diagnosed neurological condition, so the neurology appointment is the gate.
A referral to the community neuro rehabilitation service for your area, naming FND.
And a conversation about what happens in the meantime, because waits are real and the period between diagnosis and treatment is where most families struggle.
Where do the national organisations fit?
Two UK charities are worth knowing while you wait. FND Action and FND Hope UK are both patient-led and offer information and peer support, and FND Action runs online support groups. NHS inform also points to the Neurosymptoms guide, written by a neurologist, which is the most thorough plain-English resource on the condition.
None of these replaces the local service. They do fill the gap in understanding that most families describe in the first few months, and they are free.
Where does Starling Homecare fit alongside the NHS?
Alongside, not instead. NHS rehabilitation aims to retrain how the brain sends and receives messages. Care at home holds the ordinary week steady while that work happens, and covers the bad days so the good ones can be spent on therapy rather than on catching up.
Starling Homecare is a family-run homecare provider registered with the Care Quality Commission, and FND is one of the conditions we support people with at home across Hertfordshire. We are not a substitute for the neuro rehabilitation team; we are the part that turns up on a Tuesday when the week still has to happen.
In practice that is help with washing and dressing on the days when movement is difficult, meals and medication prompts, getting to appointments, and a familiar person who knows what a bad day looks like for this individual. Because FND varies so much between people, we write every plan around the person rather than taking it off a shelf. Our guide to supporting someone with FND at home covers the day-to-day detail, our piece on what to do when someone has a functional seizure covers the moment itself, and our FND care at home service explains how it is arranged.
Our Welwyn Hatfield team is on 01707 714 000 or at [email protected], covering Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield, Welwyn, Digswell, Brookmans Park and the surrounding villages. You can also read about home care in Welwyn Hatfield on our area page.
Where we support people with FND across Hertfordshire
Wherever the NHS boundary falls, our own coverage does not stop at it. Starling Homecare supports people living with FND at home on both sides of the county, in west Hertfordshire and in East and North Hertfordshire alike.
Wherever you are in the county, you reach the team that actually covers your area:
- St Albans, 01727 324 127
- Harpenden, 01582 824 830
- Welwyn Hatfield, 01707 714 000
- Hemel Hempstead, 01442 954 137
- Berkhamsted, 01442 954 137
- Tring, 01442 954 137
- Hitchin, 01462 534739
- Hertford, 01920 746779
- Radlett and Shenley, 01923 988 550
Common Questions About FND Support in Hertfordshire
Is there an NHS FND service in Hertfordshire?
Yes. Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust's neuro community rehabilitation team, based at Danesbury Neurological Centre in Welwyn, includes a Functional Neurological Disorder service. It covers adults over 18 with a consultant-diagnosed neurological condition. They must be registered with a GP in East or North Hertfordshire.
How do you get referred to the FND service in Welwyn?
Referrals are accepted from local hospitals, GPs, other health professionals and tertiary centres, and are sent to [email protected]. Self-referral is only open to patients and families who have been seen by the service within the past year, so for most people the route is a GP or neurologist referral.
Does Starling Homecare provide FND care in Hertfordshire?
Yes. Starling Homecare is a family-run, CQC-registered homecare provider and functional neurological disorder is one of the conditions we support people with at home, across St Albans, Harpenden, Welwyn Hatfield, Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted, Tring, Hitchin, Hertford and Radlett. We work alongside the NHS rehabilitation services rather than in place of them, holding the ordinary week steady while that treatment does its work.
What FND support is there in St Albans or Harpenden?
Those areas are in west Hertfordshire. Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust provides community services there, including neuro rehabilitation, through the Hertfordshire single point of access on 0300 020 0656. Ask specifically what provision is available for functional neurological disorder.
Is there an FND support group in Hertfordshire?
Not one that the national charities listed at the time of writing. FND Hope UK's list of face-to-face peer groups has nothing in Hertfordshire or the East of England. Its nearest groups are in London, Berkshire and Surrey. However, FND Action runs online support groups that anyone in the county can join. FND Dimensions also runs regional groups online. We will add a local group here if one starts.
What does the NHS FND service in Hertfordshire actually offer?
The Welwyn team includes specialist nurses, clinical psychology, occupational therapy, physiotherapy and rehabilitation assistants. It offers treatment at home, in outpatient clinics or in groups, depending on need. In other words, it is a rehabilitation service rather than a diagnostic one. Most people arrive with a diagnosis already made by a neurologist.
Where does specialist FND support in Hertfordshire come from beyond the local service?
For complex cases, the main specialist centre is in London. It is the FND rehabilitation service at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in Queen Square. The service takes referrals from a neurologist who has confirmed the diagnosis, and expects local treatment to have been tried first. Your neurologist or GP can advise whether that route applies to you.
Does FND support in Hertfordshire include help at home?
The NHS services treat the condition. Day-to-day help at home is separate, and families usually arrange it privately or through a council care needs assessment. Starling Homecare arranges visiting FND care in St Albans, Harpenden, Welwyn Hatfield and Hemel Hempstead. Live-in care is available across the county. Our FND care at home page explains what that includes, and our guide on what to do when someone has a functional seizure covers the part families worry about most.
What FND support in Hertfordshire is there for family carers?
A family carer can ask Hertfordshire County Council for a Carer's Assessment. It looks at the carer's own needs, not only the needs of the person they care for. Carer's Allowance may apply, and our Carer's Allowance guide explains the rules. FND Hope UK also publishes practical advice for partners and carers. In practice, planned respite makes the biggest difference. It is worth building in from the start.
Is the Hertfordshire FND service available to children and young people?
No. The Welwyn service is for adults aged 18 and over. For children and young people, the route is through the GP and paediatric services, and FND Action has a hub for young people with FND. NHS inform also has a section on FND in children and young people.
Starting in the right place
FND is hard enough to navigate without spending weeks contacting the wrong service. Find out which side of the county line you are on, then ask for the FND provision by name.
If you would like to talk through what care at home could look like while you wait, our Welwyn Hatfield team is on 01707 714 000.
Service details checked on 7 September 2026 against Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust and Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust. NHS services change, so confirm the current position with the service or your GP. This is general information, not medical advice.
Arranging Care Is Simple
Starting care can feel like a big step. We keep it calm and straightforward, and we are here to guide you from your very first call.
1. Talk to us
Get in touch by phone or request a callback. We will listen, answer your questions and help you understand the options, so you can decide what feels right in your own time.
2. A home visit and initial consultation
We arrange a visit to understand your routines, your home and what matters most to you. Together we agree an initial consultation and shape the support that feels right.
3. Your care begins
A small, familiar team starts your care, arriving at the agreed times and staying involved as your needs change. We remain your trusted adviser throughout.
Whenever you are ready, we are here to help.