03Mar 2022 by Gill

Positive Points: Equity in care

General
When I started out in Physiotherapy, I thought that it was all about the physical treatment of patients. As an undergraduate I did an assignment on the Black Report – about socioeconomic status and health and how they seem to correlate; those who are better off generally have better health. I therefore had an understanding that there are inequalities in health but didn’t relate it directly to physiotherapy practice. I thought it was the role of managers and policy makers to influence public health. The more I have practiced the more I realise that inequalities exist in all areas of health care and that, as physiotherapists, we have a duty to treat all people equitably and this does not mean that everyone is treated the same. It means they all…
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21Jan 2022 by Gill

Positive Points: Active Travel

General
Have you ever stopped to think about how often you use your car for short journeys? Maybe to get to a place of work, collect shopping, transport the children to/from activities or school. Do you know anyone with a lung condition? Maybe asthma, COPD, bronchiectasis, cancer etc. Do you know what the air quality is like near your home/place of work?   Have you ever stopped to think about the links between unhealthy lifestyles, including lack of exercise and the impact of human behaviour on our planet?   COP26 in Glasgow last year was designed to bring countries together to work towards a better, more healthy, future for our planet and for us. A group of health professionals cycled from London to Glasgow to highlight the link between healthy lifestyle…
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08Nov 2021 by Gill

Online Manual Handling Training – not as good as tailored

Manual Handling
The rise in the use of on-line manual handling training may not be as useful in reducing risk as employers think. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in their report in 2018 suggested there was “little evidence that ‘off-the-shelf’ manual handling training, based on handling techniques, was effective”. https://www.hse.gov.uk/aboutus/reports/ara-2017-18.pdf Instead they recommend employers think more critically about the working practices and engineer changes to the working practice. They also reinforce the need for any training to be tailored to the tasks the workers carry out in their daily duties. This should include tasks, equipment and the environment in that daily practice. Training can be an important factor in reducing risk in manual handling but won’t maintain safety on its own. In accordance with the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 hazardous…
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07Sep 2021 by Gill

Positive Points: Stroke Rehabilitation

General
Around 50% of the 11,000 people in England who have a stroke each year needs ongoing care and support with their daily lives afterwards. Balance problems, in particular, are common. Rehabilitation aims to help people regain function and independence. It is often thought that after a stroke the greatest potential for recovery and improvement is within the first few months. It was interesting to read a high quality review recently which challenges this and shows that task specific exercise therapy can improve balance long after the original stroke. Good balance is essential for efficient walking and many activities of daily living, and these help to live a more independent life. Stroke survivors often experience decreased confidence and quality of life after leaving hospital. Good balance is likely to reduce falls…
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07Jun 2021 by Gill

Positive Points: The Customer Experience

General
Following a few experiences both good and bad recently I was thinking about how the experience makes you feel towards the company. As I sit here, I am (yet again) waiting for British Gas to turn up. The thought process started when our hot water tank deposited its contents through the floor and the light fitting below. As a British Gas Home Care customer, we thought we had 24/7 cover as per their advert. To start with they did not have a phone number and all communication was online with a robot, an engineer was booked for 12 – 18:00 that day. An engineer eventually turned up at 23:30. We had found a phone number and again it was only communicating with an automated system where you could change or…
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