Douglas Grant Rehabilitation Centre showcases its services

Occupational therapists at the Douglas Grant Rehabilitation Centre at Ayrshire Central Hospital had the chance to showcase their innovative work when Ruth McGuire MSP visited the centre.
By Dawn Renton
Published 8th Nov 2019, 09:06 BST
Kirsty Lewis Asst Practitioner, Jenny Preston, Clinical Lead Neurological Rehabilitation, Ruth McGuire, MSP and Alison Keir Policy Officer Scotland at the garden where OT takes place.Kirsty Lewis Asst Practitioner, Jenny Preston, Clinical Lead Neurological Rehabilitation, Ruth McGuire, MSP and Alison Keir Policy Officer Scotland at the garden where OT takes place.
Kirsty Lewis Asst Practitioner, Jenny Preston, Clinical Lead Neurological Rehabilitation, Ruth McGuire, MSP and Alison Keir Policy Officer Scotland at the garden where OT takes place.

Ms McGuire was joined by Alison Keir, Scottish Policy Officer at the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) for a tour of the award-winning Neurological Rehabilitation Service at the Douglas Grant Rehabilitation Centre.

The service, which provides services to people living with a range of neurological conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis and Motor Neurone Disease, was one of the pilot services to introduce the Scottish Government’s National Care Framework for Huntington’s Disease.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Jenny Preston MBE, Clinical Lead, said: “We have improved pathways in the service to ensure that people get access to rehabilitation services as early as possible.

“With a more proactive approach to health and social care integration, we are able to increase our efficiency across the services by ensuring our teams are suitably skilled for the work they are undertaking.

“We have taken the unusual approach of appointing a non-medical clinical lead for the service.

“And so it was great to showcase our service and to explain more about this innovative model, which puts the person at the centre of all decision-making.”

The visit coincided with Occupational Therapy Week which runs from November 4 to 10. The national awareness week is run by the RCOT to promote the value of occupational therapists and the fantastic work that they do across the UK.

Julia Scott, CEO, Royal College of Occupational Therapists said: “Every day, across the UK occupational therapists change lives for the better. Occupational Therapy Week 2019 is a fantastic time to celebrate this.

“The Royal College knows very well how hard our members work and the extent of the difference they make and we want everyone else to know too. “I am encouraging everyone to be loud and proud and get involved in the campaign using the hashtag #OTWeek2019.”