Redeployed
roles and
the diverse
skill set of an
occupational
therapist
ational therapists from North West Anglia NHS
ion Trust reflect on their redeployed roles as they
een working to support both patients and staff
during the COVID-19 crisis
VID-19
s been
n,
NHS
these
ways
ree
y with
re
o
service
ay, with
to 6pm
and the
For some staff, risk assessments were required and
mitigations put in place for their own safety.
In this article, we examine and reflect on five
separate examples that demonstrate the range of our
skill set as occupational therapists, focusing on a brief
overview of their substantive roles, their changed roles,
personal reflections around their transferrable skills,
and key learning from their experience (see box outs).
Covid-19 has been challenging. As occupational
therapists we have been able to utilise our core skills
in several different ways to support our colleagues and
patients.
Our skills are very transferrable, which has been
demonstrated here. Themes that can be drawn
from our reflections can be summarised around the
importance of supervision to support one another, to
adapt to change and to learn and develop as we share
experiences.
A sense of wellbeing and developing coping
strategies are essential for a person, whether a patient
or a staff member.
ificantly
very of
Sally Drake, deputy allied health professions lead,
written on behalf of occupational therapists at North
West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust