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rehab[/caption] STAFF at NHS Dumfries and Galloway have been showing how rehabilitation transforms patients’ lives at a special event to mark Rehabilitation Awareness Week The aim of the week is to highlight how physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, social workers, dietitians and many other members of the allied health professions community work together so patients can make a full recovery and return to leading an active life. National leaders in rehabilitation dropped in, including Anne Wallace, the AHP Professional Advisor to the Scottish Government; Carolyn McDonald, chief AHP Officer for Scottish Government; and John Cowman, CEO of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy). There’s also been events on different aspects of the patient journey, including prehabilitation to ensure people are fit and ready for cancer treatment, and helping people with dementia to stay in work for longer. The key message has been that reablement, rehabilitation and recovery is everyone’s business. After visiting on Wednesday John Cowman, above, said: “I am very impressed with the Dumfries and Galloway event. “I met with many wonderful staff from different health professions, as well as physiotherapy staff, who shared remarkable stories of how patients had realised their full potential post-surgery or post trauma thanks to the rehabilitation teams. It is these stories that we need to promote far and wide so that those in positions of power and influence can fully understand why access to these services and this specialist workforce is vital for the future health and wellbeing of the nation.” Julie White, chief executive of NHS Dumfries and Galloway, added: “Rehabilitation is central to the recovery, independence and wellbeing of people across our communities.”
