Occupational Therapy News OTNews March 2020 | Page 7

NEWS
People with long-term conditions feel
‘abandoned by the system’
To coincide with the start of the Right to Rehab campaign, new
research has found that almost half (44 per cent) of people who
said they did not receive sufficient rehabilitation after diagnosis
or discharge from hospital felt ‘abandoned by the system’.
The poll of people living with long-term conditions and illnesses
also found that only 29 per cent felt they received completely
sufficient rehabilitation, and showed stark differences between the
experiences of those who did receive it and those who missed out.
The results also found that: only 10 per cent of those with
insufficient aftercare returned to their normal pre-condition life,
compared with 42 per cent of those that received the right
treatment; and 40 per cent of those that received insufficient
care said their mental health had worsened – while only nine per
cent of those with sufficient care suffered a negative impact on
their mental health.
In addition, 46 per cent of those who had insufficient
aftercare said they continue to have long-term reduced mobility
and problems doing everyday things, compared with 19 per
cent of those that did receive sufficient care; 85 per cent
of people with lung disease deemed eligible for pulmonary
rehabilitation are not referred for it; and almost half (44 per cent)
of people with neurological conditions do not have access to
community rehabilitation.
ROYAL COLLEGE
OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS
Vacancy for Council Member, Industrial Relations 2020-2021
An interim member (serving for one year) is needed for this seat on the
BAOT/RCOT Council. The candidate must be a BAOT Professional
Member in good standing who is an accredited BAOT steward. As
well as being a member of Council, this individual will also be required
to sit on the BAOT/UNISON Occupational Therapy Panel.
The term of office starts in May and will end at the 2021 AGM. Council
meets 4 times a year mainly in London and the Panel meets 3 times
in London. Interim members are considered as Trustees/Company
Directors with all the implications this entails and have the same voting
rights as other Council members.
Deadline for return of nominations: Friday 24 April 2020.
Council will hold an electronic ballot the following week to elect the new
member.
NB: Any person considering this post should gain the support of their
manager so that he/she is aware of the time away from work which the
responsibility of holding a national office involves.
For more information and a nomination form, please contact Dominique
Le Marchand on 020 3141 4617 or
[e-mail] or go to the web page:
www.rcot.co.uk/about-us/governance/council-and-boards/royal-
college-occupational-therapists-council
N231
Royal College of Occupational Therapists is a registered charity in
England and Wales (No. 275119) and in Scotland (No. SCO39573)
and a limited company registered in England (No. 1347374).
Registered office: 106–114 Borough High Street, London SE1 1LB.
VAT Reg. No. 242 7829 47.
Social prescribing stories sought as
issues raised in Scottish Parliament
©GettyImages/VTT Studio
Stories about the big impact that occupational therapists have
made with social prescribing have been added to the RCOT
website and on social media throughout March.
The story wall on the RCOT website now features hundreds
of submissions from occupational therapists working in practice,
research and education on how they have had a big impact on the
health and wellbeing of the people they support.
Lots of stories tied in this month with Social Prescribing Day
on 12 March. They included a 12-week fitness group that was
developed for people after periods of substance abuse; a Bengali-
speaking workshop in east London to support parents; and a man
living with anxiety and depression who was supported to join local
groups that helped him get active and manage his debt.
RCOT also briefed MSPs ahead of a debate on social prescribing
in the Scottish Parliament, with MSPs David Stewart and Annie
Wells referencing the Royal College’s briefing on the value of social
prescribing to support people.
Paul Cooper, RCOT lead professional adviser, said: ‘The role
occupational therapists have in enabling social participation to
personalise health and social care is clear from our members’
stories.
‘The social prescribing agenda has also helped decision
makers to understand the importance of occupation to people’s
wellbeing and is an opportunity for the profession to demonstrate
our expertise in this area, as evidenced in the Scottish Parliament
debate. We would love to hear from more members on how they
have used social prescribing to help the people they work with on
the story wall.’
Upload your story and read the existing Small Change, Big
Impact contributions at: www.rcot.co.uk/small-change-big-impact.
Stories are also being added to the wall throughout March on
community rehabilitation.
A new RCOT informed view on social prescribing, providing a
considered view and direction about the topic, has been added to:
www.rcot.co.uk/rcot-informed-views.
OTnews March 2020 7