This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
Occupational therapists should be used to cut hospital admissions
The College of Occupational Therapists (COT) in Wales has urged that thousands of hospital bed days could be saved if occupational therapists (OTs) were used more to help patients.
The news comes after a pilot service in a Cardiff hospital saved more than 15,000 bed days in a year, saving almost £1 million in cash terms.
Occupational therapists offer advice and provide people with help to maintain their independence. However, a report by the group has suggested that greater use of the staff could enable more same day or earlier discharges.
The COT report advised that: emergency care services should have OTs ‘embedded within the multi-disciplinary teams’; health boards should include occupational therapy in funding for out-of-hours services to achieve ‘optimum patient flow and fast-paced assessments’; admission and discharge teams should include OTs; and OTs should be put at the front of reablement and community support programmes.
Ruth Crowder, Wales policy officer for the College of Occupational Therapists (COT), explained: “Ideally, we would have occupational therapists in with A&E and out with paramedics and stop them [patients] going into hospital if they don't need to medically so they are able to be independent.
"If we don't get them at the right time, they are more ill and less able to do things. The added bonus is it's saving significant amounts of money and bed days and freeing up resources to deal with other people."
Welcoming the report, Wales Health Secretary Vaughan Gething, who is set to deliver a speech at the launch of the report, said: "Occupational therapists are one of the key health and social care professionals across health, social care and housing that can help achieve the changes that are needed.
"This report clearly shows the innovative ways they are delivering services which help people avoid unnecessary admission to hospital, reduce the time they stay in hospital and ensure they have a successful and safe discharge back home."
Latest News
16/02/2024 - 12:56
Hammersmith and Fulham Council has created a new alliance intended to clean dirty air and improve residents' health.
16/02/2024 - 10:44
Two million more GP appointments a month are being delivered for patients compared to the same month before the pandemic as part of the NHS primary care access recovery plan according to new NHS data.
15/02/2024 - 10:26
The Welsh Government has provided innovation funding of £380,000 to support two projects utilising technology in domiciliary care.
15/02/2024 - 10:13
The new Scottish health secretary has met with frontline staff at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.
14/02/2024 - 10:27
The North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT) has appointed three new Executive Directors to the Trust Board.
Product Features
UK Building Regulations highlight toxic gas and smoke from layers of paint built up over multiple redecorations as a major cause of permanent ill health or death in a building fire.
Their concern rose with discovery the flame retardant paints most widely used paint along escape routes have been ones which to this day counter-productively use emission of heavy toxic gas to smother flames which rapidly spread along walls if layers of paint delaminate in a fire.
Supplier Profiles
Northwich’s Victoria Infirmary (VIN) Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) has enabled more patients
Adveco, the commercial hot water specialist, announces the launch of live metering of domestic ho
Latest Features
Sarah Greenslade, public affairs and communications officer at the British Parking Association looks at some of the problems and innovations in healthcare parking
It’s easy to assume that the comms team is there to handle press enquiries and the occasional social media storm – but the reality is that strategic communications can make a measurable impact across the entire organisation, from operational to financial, when done properly
