East and Midlothian
Physiotherapy Service shortlisted
Innovative service nominated for national
award
An innovative physiotherapy service
based in East and Midlothian has been
shortlisted for a prestigious national award.
The East and Midlothian Pulmonary
Rehabilitation team, part of East and Midlothian Community Health Partnership,
has been nominated in the Improving Quality category at the Advancing
Healthcare Awards.
It is the second successive year that
the service has been shortlisted at the awards for their pioneering work in
delivering pulmonary rehabilitation via telehealth.
Amanda Stears, Specialist
Physiotherapist, East and Midlothian CHP, explained: “For the last two years we
have been delivering our pulmonary rehabilitation solely through digital means
and we are delighted to have been nominated for this award for the second year
running.”
Through the programme patients with
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) are able to take part in
physiotherapy in their own homes.
Patients are equipped with a
specially-designed phone with a screen and matched up with a physiotherapist
who supports them as they practice exercises.
Amanda Stears continued: “Patients
dial into a virtual room a bit like a chat room and they see me in the middle
of their screen and the other four people in the group, all at once. Part of it
is the social interaction and meeting people with the same condition. With COPD
you can become very debilitated and very isolated.
"Meeting people who understand what
they are going through is important. We may be offering chat room capability,
so if they’re up at two or three in the morning and feeling fed up and if
another patient they know may be up, they can catch up with them.”
David Small, general manager, East
and Midlothian CHP, said: “I
congratulate the team on being shortlisted for this award which is a fitting
accolade for all their hard work in developing the use of telehealth and
telecare and in particular video conferencing which is bringing real benefits
to patients.
"We are using this innovative,
digital technology to increase the number of patients we can treat not just in
the one area but across different areas at the same time.”
ENDS
Issued by:
David Ridd
Communications Officer
NHS Lothian
0131 465 564