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Stroke patients and others in need of intense physiotherapy are facing declining care because of inadequate space and equipment in hospitals, a survey shows.
The Chartered Society of Physiotherapists found that four in 10 NHS physiotherapy staff have lost or are expected to lose dedicated rehabilitation space.
In the survey of more than 2,000 members, six in 10 said their rooms had been taken over by other clinical teams, with some attributing this to a lack of funding or their bosses not prioritising their work.
“Five years after the pandemic, it’s shocking that rehabilitation space continues to be sidelined and routinely taken away from physiotherapy teams who are then forced to provide care in corridors,” said Sara Hazzard, the society’s assistant director. “These vital spaces are where people learn to walk again, recover from catastrophic life events such as stroke and rebuild their identity and lives after surgery in a dignified manner.
“We need the government to put pressure on local trusts to follow the existing estates guidance that was issued by NHS England when we first raised this issue years ago.
“The government’s 10-year plan depends on moving care closer to home but that won’t happen if rehab continues to be sidelined. These precious services must be restored and protected so that no more patients are left behind.”
The number of people waiting for NHS musculoskeletal care continues to rise month on month and stood at 388,076 in August.
One NHS physiotherapist who works in stroke rehab said their team was “dealing with an utterly inadequate rehab space which is failing so many of our stroke patients”.
Their therapy gym has been cut to 15 sq metres, which has resulted in none of the patients hitting a target of three hours of supervised movement a day alongside group work with other patients.
“Without space to rehab, progress and recovery becomes a lottery,” the physiotherapist said. “If we had a bigger gym and more staff we could achieve the target for patients.”
The survey found that 74% of staff had experienced a decline in the quality of rehabilitation they were able to offer and 57% had less access to essential equipment.
Increased levels of disability among their patients were reported by 51% of staff and 53% said those in their care were now more likely to be readmitted to hospital.
Another physiotherapist who took part in the survey said many of their patients with injuries from falls were “very, very anxious”.
They added: “The public forum of a busy ward is not the ideal venue for the rebuilding of patients physically or mentally.”
Andy Fletcher, the chief executive of Muscular Dystrophy UK, said the figures were alarming and reflected “the reality of what many people with muscle-wasting conditions were having to face”.
He added: “We know the NHS is under enormous pressure. This isn’t just unique to neuromuscular services it’s part of a wider healthcare trend. People living with a muscle-wasting condition need a range of specialist and general healthcare including physiotherapy. The reduction in these services has created a postcode lottery with many people missing out on the crucial care and support they need to help them live well with their condition.”
A Department of Health spokesperson said: “We recognise the vital role physiotherapy plays in helping patients recover from illness, injury and surgery, and we are committed to ensuring NHS staff have the facilities and resources they need to deliver high-quality rehabilitation care.
“As we shift care from hospital to community, more patients will be able to access convenient, coordinated care – including physiotherapy – closer to home through neighbourhood health centres.”
