Occupational Therapy News OTnews February 2019_Joomag | Page 16

FEATURE PERSONALISED CARE
to find ways to support people as individuals in the
longer term.
Leading that change is ‘prehab’, and an
occupational therapist – Zoe Merchant – is heading
one such project for Greater Manchester Cancer,
part of the Greater Manchester Health and Social
Care Partnership.
Due to formally launch this April, Prehab4Cancer
builds on work to make sure people going into
surgery or treatment are as physically prepared for
it as possible. The right preparation reduces the
chance of complications or reduced life expectancy
after treatment.
‘You wouldn’t go into a marathon unprepared
and going into quite radical radiotherapy or
chemotherapy is similar,’ says Zoe. ‘These are quite
major events to put your body through.’
The work will be done
‘‘
Zoe has become something of a spokesperson
for the benefits of exercise in cancer care, and has
been on the BBC’s popular You, Me and the Big C
podcast about cancer to discuss the work.
But this is not just a programme to make people
fit for surgery, says Zoe, its fundamental involvement
of the person with cancer makes it a real case of
personalised care.
‘A lot of people with cancer have anxiety and
depression related to it,’ she says. ‘But we have
done some patient engagement work and a lot of
that has been hearing that people feel they have
fallen off a cliff. We have tried to help remove that.
And there’s also the feeling of being ‘“done to”, just
being railroaded with no control. This helps people
contribute to their own treatment.’
Hear Zoe speak about Prehab4Cancer
at: www.bbc.in/2S3M9vB.
out in the community
with leisure partners,
Personal health budgets
...we’re encouraging
helping to increase
Dylan is a young man from
occupational therapists to
people’s fitness,
Hull who was heading to
think creatively outside the box.
nutritional needs and
university in Leeds. He
psychological support.
has cerebral palsy and
That’s what this is about: let’s
The team aims to see
needs a wheelchair
think about what this person’s
2,000 people in two
to be independent.
needs
are,
let’s
look
at
what
years. And it is going
But the NHS offered a
outcome they want, and
to be busy, as the
wheelchair that would
turnaround times are
only meet his clinical
how could we
tight. When the team gets
needs, meaning he would
meet that.
a referral, it’s aiming to get in
still need a personal assistant
contact with people within 48
to support him.
hours, so that as much support as
But a personal wheelchair budget
possible can be given before treatment.
helped to pool funds and look at all his
The main cohort will be people who are physically
needs, both health and social care. Dylan got a
unfit and would struggle with certain treatments.
higher-spec wheelchair that meant he could go to
Extensively-trained personal trainers will help them
university without needing a personal assistant.
with a mix of one-to-one sessions and group
Patience Young trained as an occupational
classes, whether it’s intensive work in the gym,
therapist, and now works as a clinical commissioning
community running groups or cycling. Close links
lead for NHS Hull clinical commissioning group
are maintained with each person’s cancer nurse
(CCG). She has led on the personal wheelchair
specialist to make sure it fits with their wider care.
budgets work in Hull and says there is a lot more to
While it is anticipated that assessments within
this work than efficiency savings.
pathways will be consistent, each person’s support
Dylan’s case would save money in social care
will be moulded to the individual. And that is a
costs, but would not actually save the CCG where
process that is still evolving: an AHP advisory board
Patience is based any money. ‘What was more
meets on a bimonthly basis to support the project.
important than that was Dylan got what he wanted,
The programme is also proving to have longer-
and someone who had been dependent on others
term benefits, says Zoe. ‘When they come out the
became independent, and that was the really
other side, they are able to then continue in those
important factor,’ she says.
healthy lifestyle choices: going back to the gym, the
She adds: ‘The system saves money, the
physical activity, and it’s a moment where they have
individual has more choice and control, the therapist
changed their behaviour.’
can be more creative and there’s less unmet need
16 OTnews February 2019