Northern Trust introduces 7 Day Occupational Therapy Service

The Northern Trust Occupational Therapy Department has increased their service to help patients recovery and proactively assist with hospital discharges.

Acute Occupational Therapy services have traditionally been provided Monday to Friday with no service at weekends or on bank holidays. However, within the Northern Trust, the Acute Occupational Therapy Department now provides a seven day service on the Antrim Area Hospital site and a six day service on the Causeway Hospital site, including bank holidays. It is currently the only department in Northern Ireland to provide this level of service.

The occupational therapist identifies and treats any difficulties which are impacting the patient’s ability to carry out daily activities such as getting washed and dressed, getting in and out of bed, on and off a chair or toilet and domestic activities such as meal preparation. This then helps inform recommendations to assist and progress the patient’s safe and timely discharge from hospital. Where possible the patient will be able to return to their own home, a key aim of Transforming Your Care.

Denise Quinn, Acute Occupational Therapy Service Lead for the Northern Trust commented “Patients are admitted and discharged from hospital seven days a week so it seemed obvious that access to occupational therapy should also be available seven days a week. The enhanced service delivery at weekends and bank holidays ensures patients receive the appropriate intervention at the right time. It promotes a proactive response to assist patients’ recovery and planning for discharge and as a result, prevents unnecessary delays in discharge from hospital.

“Occupational therapy is central to patients’ recovery and safe discharge from hospital following illness. Thanks to the dedication and cooperation of the acute occupational therapy staff, the service is now well established. Patients benefit from appropriate and timely occupational therapy intervention and potential delays in discharge are avoided.”

26th September 2013