Funding for rehab drive

THE drive to move rehabilitation out of the hospital and into the community has been boosted by a £600,000 investment.

NHS Lothian wants to revolutionise the way people recover from illness and injury by helping them in a more familiar setting.

Now a number of posts will be created to help the transition, while extra physiotherapists and occupational therapists have been hired.

Jamie Hetherington, the health board's implementation manager, said: "The idea is to shift the balance of care from hospital to the community.

"This investment will allow people to be discharged earlier from hospital through improved access to reablement and rehabilitation services, providing more of their needs in their own homes."