Occupational Therapy

• Inpatients services- Occupational Therapists are actively involved in the assessment of patients’ needs and collaborate in discharge planning as part of the multi- disciplinary team.
• Outpatients services - Specialist hand splinting, scar management service and upper and lower limb bracing. Cardiac rehabilitation in collaboration with physiotherapy and cardiac nurses.  Referrals are accepted from GPs and hospital consultants for these services.
• A&E/Medical Assessment Unit – Occupational Therapists form part of the integrated discharge team working alongside PCT and Social Care colleagues to  reduce unnecessary hospital admission and divert patients to appropriate community support services

Occupational Therapists work in specialist teams across all clinical areas of the Trust (except Paediatrics and Maternity). We assess and treat each patient’s ability to undertake essential everyday tasks as part of discharge planning.  Assessments may include personal care, domestic tasks, cognition, perception, wheelchair/seating, hoisting, splinting/bracing, and environmental assessments informing treatment, advice and/or recommendations, provision of specialist equipment and/or referral to other services, tailored to individual need.

Occupational Therapists work in collaboration with the patient, their family/carers and other professionals.

Specialist areas include:

• Neurology and stroke care
• Surgery
• Care of the elderly and acute general medicine
• Trauma and orthopaedics
• Outpatient cardiac rehabilitation
• Oncology
• A&E and MAU
• Outpatient hand splinting, fracture bracing, hip and knee bracing

Service Managers – Suzanne Ward and Chris Phipps Harman
Team Leader (Care of the Elderly) – Lisa Shyamalan
Team Leader (Trauma and Orthopaedics including Hand Therapy) – Vicki MacDonald
Team Leader (Medical, Surgical, Cardiac and Oncology) – Janet Drury