Inpatient therapy

About our service

We visit you on the hospital ward and find out how you normally manage at home and decide with you how we can help you to restore your function and mobility.

We have occupational therapists and physiotherapists who will assess your needs and we can also access speech and language therapists and dietitians if required.

If you need help at home, or further rehabilitation, we work closely with social services to establish the most appropriate level and place of support.

If you need any equipment to help to increase your independence, we will either provide it, offer advice, or refer you for further assessment.

Depending on your medical condition, we can offer you advice about restoring and maintaining your independence and practice using different techniques and strategies. 

This also includes issues around cognitive, mental health and psychological conditions as well as physical.

With your permission, we can discuss all the above with your family or carer, teach them techniques that may help them to help you and refer them for support if required.

We may complete a home visit with you to identify and help to solve any problems you may have when you are discharged home or we can refer you on to the community therapy service to continue your therapy at home.

Our expertise

• All the qualified therapists within the team are registered with the Health and Care Professions Council.
• Physiotherapists are experts in the science of movement and mobility.
• Occupational therapists are experts in the science of function and living.
• We have specialist knowledge in many medical conditions including, cardiac, respiratory disease, dementia, stroke and other neurological conditions.
• Physiotherapists are also specifically trained in managing chest problems. 

How to use the service

Doctors and nurses on the ward normally refer any patient who they are concerned about going home but you can ask the ward staff to refer to our service yourself.

We will endeavour to see you on the ward within 48 hours of being referred but it is usually much sooner if needed. On the emergency and short stay wards, the response time is within four hours of being referred.

During the first contact, the therapist will probably ask you lots of questions about your normal home circumstances, how you get around and how you manage everyday activities. They may ask you to demonstrate some simple activities such as getting out of bed, walking putting on slippers etc and they may do some initial assessments depending on your medical condition or any problems you may have.

Following this, the therapist will agree with you a plan about what is needed for your discharge. This may involve improving your mobility, practicing techniques on the ward, arranging help at home, providing equipment etc. It very much depends on your individual needs as to what is required.

Individual therapists visit the acute wards daily and are accessible via the ward staff.

Our department can be found on the ‘B’ corridor in between Wards B2 and B3.