Today I signed a campaign pledge at an event at the House of Commons to enhance community rehabilitation across the UK.
The event was used to launch a new hard-hitting report, published by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, Royal College of Occupational Therapists and Sue Ryder, which asks MPs to ensure the NHS delivers on patients’ right to rehabilitation.
The report warns that failing to provide these services can have devastating consequences for people’s lives, and bring greater costs for the NHS and social care systems.
Community rehabilitation provides expert, tailored support for patients outside of hospital to allow them to continue their recovery from emergencies such as stroke and heart failure, or to enable them to manage conditions such as lung disease and arthritis.
To coincide with the event, new research has found large numbers of people felt abandoned by the system after being diagnosed with a condition of after leaving hospital.
The survey of 1,000 people with long-term conditions found only 29 per cent felt they received ‘completely sufficient’ rehabilitation, and showed stark differences between the experiences of those who did receive it and those who missed out.
For example:
- Only 10 per cent of those with insufficient aftercare returned to their normal pre-condition life, compared with 42 per cent of those received the right treatment;
- 40 per cent of those that received insufficient care said their mental health had worsened – while only nine per cent of those with sufficient care suffered a negative impact on their mental health;
- 46 per cent of those who had insufficient aftercare said they continue to have long-term reduced mobility and problems doing everyday things, compared with 19 per cent of those that did receive sufficient care.
At the event, I watched a virtual reality film featuring Elizabeth Printer, who suffered a debilitating stroke at the age of 46 in 2011.
Elizabeth, from Portsmouth, lost her career and family as a result of insufficient after-care.
She said:
"The NHS saved my life in an emergency, but then failed to help me recover any of the life I once had.
"I had to teach myself to walk again - I wanted to get well for my daughters, but there was no support or guidance about how I could do this.
"I just needed to have the right rehab, treatment, and love and care, but it was never there."
The CSP’s chief executive, Karen Middleton, said:
"Everyone should get the rehab they need to live life to the full and be as independent as possible.
"It is essential that in the next decade we witness a radical transformation in provision to ensure no-one misses out.
"It’s not acceptable that we are missing opportunities to improve lives."