HRH The Princess Royal has helped celebrate 25 years of Nottingham occupational therapy research
The Princess Royal met academics, clinicians and research patients during her visit to the University’s Medical School to celebrate the 25th anniversary year of occupational therapy research through its Division of Rehabilitation and Ageing.
She was invited in her capacity as patron of the College of Occupational Therapists, which has provided around £100,000 in funding to the University’s research over the last three years. The College is the professional body for occupational therapists and support workers and the voice of cccupational therapy in the UK. It champions the unique and vital work of occupational therapy staff, promoting value, excellence and innovation across the profession.
Dr Pip Logan, Associate Professor in Community Rehabilitation and Chair of the College of Occupational Therapists’ specialists’ section on Neurological Practice, said: “We are really pleased and excited to be able to welcome The Princess Royal to the University to celebrate 25 years of occupational therapy research. Our research is aimed at improving the quality of life for people with long-term medical conditions while avoiding unnecessary hospital admissions and our results influence clinical care in the UK and abroad. The first UK Doctorate of Occupational Therapy graduated from The University of Nottingham and we are the largest group of clinical research active occupational therapists in the UK.”
During her visit, The Princess Royal discussed the numerous rehabilitation research projects being conducted by the University, in partnership with NHS colleagues, and spoke to patients participating in clinical trials.
Among the projects she heard about were:
The history of the University’s long-running research into rehabilitation for stroke patients, including the establishment of the Nottingham Stroke Research Consumer Group, a unique partnership between stroke survivors and academics. The research is headed up by Professor Marion Walker MBE, an occupational therapist and Fellow of the College of Occupational Therapists, and supported by stroke survivor Ossie Newell, who has worked tirelessly for better stroke care, service provision and research.
The Princess Royal heard how stroke rehabilitation was recognised by the University through its Impact Campaign, which aims to raise £150 million in philanthropic support across five strategic themes over the next five years.
The Getting Out of the House study, led by Dr Pip Logan, occupational therapist and Associate Professor in Community Rehabilitation, and funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), which aims to help stroke sufferers regain their confidence and examine whether a new way of offering rehabilitation therapy could help patients to leave their homes more often. The study has recruitied more than 560 patients from across the UK and will look at whether providing stroke patients with a targeted rehabilitation approach and goal-based outdoor mobility programme could be physically and emotionally beneficial.
The Assistive Devices research team, led by occupational therapist, chartered psychologist and Associate Professor in Rehabilitation at the University, Dr Lorraine Pinnington, which assesses the most effective and cost-efficient rehabilitation devices, which can improve patients’ confidence and ability to take part in social situations, so boosting their independence.
Stroke rehabilitation research funded by the Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC), led by Professor Avril Drummond, occupational therapist and Professor in Rehabilitation Research. Among its current research projects is a study looking at whether commercial virtual reality gaming systems such as the Nintendo Wii can be used for upper limb rehabilitation.
Hospital-based occupational therapy research through Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust’s Medical and Mental Health Unit on Ward B47 at its Queen’s Medical Centre campus, led by Occupational Therapist Louise Howe and Rowan Harwood, Professor of Geriatric Medicine. The unit has introduced a person-centred approach to improve healthcare for patients suffering from dementia by offering specialist training to nurses and therapists and offering specialist facilities for patients.
Falls prevention for older adults research through Nottingham County Health partnership and Nottingham CityCare Partnership led by community-based occupational therapist Kate Robertson. This team has introduced a rehabilitation programme that shows people how to prevent falls. The programme can be completed by carers, care home staff or relatives, and includes exercises, advice about diet and dehydration, removing hazards, and what to do if someone does fall.
Find out more about the University’s Impact Campaign and how you can support stroke rehabilitation research at: http://tiny.cc/UonImpactstroke.