Guide to Occupational Therapy in West Suffolk

WEST SUFFOLK HOSPITALS NHS TRUST

Occupational Therapy within the West Suffolk Hospital is divided into three teams:-

1. Medical Team

2. Surgical Team

3. Day Services/Out patients

 Patients are accepted via consultant referral by all three teams.

MEDICAL TEAM

The Occupational Therapy department - Medical Team is responsible for providing a service for:-

1. All In-patient medical patients, comprising:

• 6 acute admission wards for medical and elderly patients

• 1 specialist respiratory ward

• 2 rehabilitation wards for elderly patients

• All associated medical specialities e.g. Palliative care, Rheumatology

2. Amputee patients on the medical wards

3. OT input to cardiac rehabilitation group.

There is a wide range of medical conditions treated and therefore the work is varied with a combination ADL assessments, home visits and more individual remedial rehabilitation programmes.

Most of the Occupational Therapists based in the Medical Team work on one of the acute admission wards. There is however the opportunity for Basic Grades to then gain experience in the following areas:

• Elderly rehabilitation

• Neurological rehabilitation

• Amputee rehabilitation.

• In and Out patient Rheumatology assessment and treatment.

The facilities are shared with the Day Services/Out Patient O.T. Team and consist of a well equipped light workshop for specific treatments, ADL assessment rooms, offices, horticulture printing areas as well as the heavy workshop and splinting area located nearby. A lot of treatment is also carried out on the wards.

There are very good working relationships with other departments and wards and we pride ourselves on our positive approach to patients treatment and care.

SURGICAL TEAM

The Occupational Therapy Surgical Team consists of Senior 1 team leader (currently job share between two part time Occupational Therapists (O.T.'s), two senior II full time and a half time assistant and one Basic Grade full time.

The team are responsible for providing a service for:

1. In patients

• 2 Trauma/Orthopaedic wards

• 2 Surgical wards

• Bury St Edmunds Nuffield Hospital (private hospital) - orthopaedicsurgery only

2. Out patients

• Splinting/treatment following hand injuries and elective surgery

• Pre-admission clinic for joint replacement patients

The surgical team treat a wide variety of conditions including:

• Elective surgery - e.g. knee and hip replacement, elbow and shoulder replacement.

• Trauma - e.g. upper and lower limb fractures, back pain, minor head injuries and hand injuries.

• Emergency and elective general surgery e.g. amputees, hemicholectomy and stoma formation.

O.T.'s in the surgical team are heavily involved in discharge planning work which consists of activities of daily living assessment, close liaison with other members of the multi-disciplinary team (MDT), relatives and carers, provision of equipment, wheelchair assessments, home visits and attendance at ward rounds and MDT meetings. Recently there has been an increase in demand for both static and dynamic splints following the appointment of a fifth consultant with a special interest in upper limb surgery.

DAY SERVICES/OUT PATIENTS TEAM

This team is responsible for the running of the fifteen place Day Centre.

In patients are referred at the point of discharge, planning for short term follow up rehabilitation and or monitoring on their resettlement. GP’s can also refer directly to one of the four consultant geriatricians. O.T. staff from all team are actively involved in the identification and referral process, using the Joyce Cockram Centre referral form. 

There is daily input from an O.T., Nurse and O.T. assistant from rehabilitation patients, and well established links with Physio and social work department. Experienced O.T. assistants, under the guidance of the O.T. provide a programme of individual and group treatment sessions, in an informal friendly atmosphere. The Day Services are able to provide some supportive rehabilitation to ward based treatment programmes where additional stimulation and functional benefits are achieved.

This is arranged on an individual patient basis through discussion with the senior O.T. with in the resource limitations.

Staff within the Day Services are always willing to discuss any issues that you feel we can help you with in the discharge planning of your patient.

LOCAL HEALTH PARNERSHIP NHS TRUST

Acute and Rehabilitation Psychiatry

CORE PURPOSE STATEMENT

The Occupational Therapy service exists to provide professional assessment, treatment, advice and supportive care for patients between the ages of 16 and 65. With either acute or longer term mental health problems.

WHERE ARE WE?

Occupational Therapy staff work as members of the multi disciplinary team in the following areas.

Acute psychiatry ward G8 - a 42 bedded acute admission ward. The Occupational Therapy Service also provides a facility for day patients following admission.

Rehabilitation psychiatry -Phoenix Day Hospital  Rehabilitation day hospital and 8 bedded rehabilitation unit for people with enduring mental health problems.

WHAT WE DO

Using our knowledge base and experience we make a thorough assessment of the patients/client’s abilities and limitations relating this to the demands of their individual circumstances and lifestyle.

We identify the needs of each individual patient/client in the following areas.

1. Daily living skills.

2. Mental and physical well being.

3. Communication and social needs.

4. Emotional and creative needs.

5. Leisure and interests.

6. Employment and education.

We formulate realistic treatment plans involving the patient/client as appropriate, in order to meet the above needs. This may involve other agencies and community resources

We monitor and evaluate response to treatment as an ongoing process and modify treatment plans accordingly.

We provide written and oral reports on the patient/client’s assessments, treatment and progress.

We attend ward rounds and case conferences with the multi-disciplinary team.

WHAT ARE OUR SKILLS?

These can be divided into the following categories:

• Our specific Occupational Therapy skills

• Functional assessment related to need

• Activity analysis

• Experience of a wide range of activity, its organisation and implementation

• Treatment through use of a variety of creative media

QUALITY

We endeavour to provide a high quality Occupational Therapy service to users through the setting and monitoring of agreed standards of service delivery.

Old Age Psychiatry

This is based at the Wedgwood Unit at the back of the West Suffolk Hospital. This is a purpose-built building providing an active programme of treatment in the two wards and a day hospital. The wards have twenty four beds each; one ward provides for patients with organic problems, the other for those with functional illnesses. The day hospital provides up to 35 places a day with specific days for the functionally ill or those with organic problems.

There are close links with community teams and proposals for future development of community resources. At present there are two smaller day hospitals at Thetford and Newmarket. The Sage Day Hospital in Newmarket opened in Autumn 1995 with a multi-disciplinary team including a senior O.T. Staff in the Day Hospital link their work at the hospital with the patients in their own homes.

Senior OTs at the Day Hospitals also have a community role and you will have the opportunity to spend some time with them to gain an understanding of their work and the close liaison with community resources.

The Occupational Therapy staff work as part of the multi-disciplinary teams and are recognised as essential members of the treatment teams.

Activities carried out by O.T. staff include individual assessments, groups (including reminiscence, reality orientation, discussion, social hobbies) and home visits.

Facilities at the Wedgwood Unit include wards, Day Hospital, O.T. rooms, kitchen, bathroom, group rooms, greenhouse and raised flower beds in an enclosed courtyard.

Occupational Therapy students are taken on fieldwork placement from Essex, Norwich, and Northampton schools.

Nursing students and work experience students are also involved in occupational therapy placements.

Mental Health Services

The West Suffolk Area is divided into a number of community patches or sectors with specialist multi-disciplinary teams in the areas of Child and Family Psychiatry, Adult and Elderly Community Teams.

The Child Health Centre is situated in Bury St Edmunds but provides Child and Family Psychiatry Service for all West Suffolk Area. There are two Occupational Therapists with special interests in play therapy.

There are Occupational Therapists in each of the Community Mental Health Teams (adult services) based at Thetford, Haverhill, Sudbury and Bury St Edmunds.

Recent changes have increased teams to include Community Rehabilitation Occupational Therapists. 

 Personal and Career Development

Across the two Trusts there is commitment to the training and development of all its staff.

With the introduction of Individual Performance Review and the existing appraisal system, all staff are encouraged to participate fully in all aspects of their own development. In addition staff are given advice on their own career development in either the clinical or managerial field. Monies for training are allocated throughout the year according to priorities.

There is much opportunity for in-service training including the monthly half day study sessions which are part of the Basic Grade Training programme. All participants if the Basic Grade Rotation scheme receive supervision from senior staff in the department area in which they are working.

This is also the opportunity for senior staff to attend courses in personal and managerial development.

Basic Grade OT’s are issued with a Portfolio to begin recording their experience and career developments. This will be an essential tool in future in recognition of your competence to practice.

CONTACTS

WEST SUFFOLK HOSPITAL NHS TRUST

WALNUTTREE HOSPITAL SUDBURY

LOCAL HEALTH PARTNERSHIP NHS TRUST