Physiotherapy is concerned with movement and maximising functional abilities. It uses physical approaches to promote, maintain and restore physical well being, taking into account variations in health status.
The use of clinical judgement and informed interpretation is at its core. The team acts to facilitate safe and timely discharge from hospital.
The inpatient therapy services at Epsom Hospital are provided by Central Surrey Health.
Central Surrey Health (CSH) is the first of a new kind of not-for-profit organisation that provides community nursing and therapy services to the people of central Surrey.
CSH is co-owned and run by the nursing and therapy teams it employs. They combine the values and principles of the NHS with the 'can do' culture of a successfully run business.
CSH offers a range of rehabilitation services to maximise function in patients with a range of problems, including:
CSH provides an emergency respiratory response team and an inpatient 24hr non-invasive ventilation service.
There is also a large dedicated therapy team that provides a wide range of services to the Elective Orthopaedic Centre.
Outpatient physiotherapy
The musculoskeletal outpatient physiotherapy team assess and treat patients with muscle, joint and neural disorders following trauma, surgery or disease.
Treatment is aimed at relieving pain and increasing mobility and strength to enable patients to lead a full a life as possible.
Referrals are accepted from Trust consultants and local GPs.
Occupational therapy
Occupational therapy focuses on inpatients whose medical condition, health and/or social care needs, physical disability and/or cognitive impairment are affecting their ability to complete daily living activities independently or safely.
The aim of intervention is to enable individual inpatients to achieve a level of function and safety within their necessary daily activities, to successfully support their timely transfer from hospital to home or an appropriate community setting.
The skilled occupational therapy teams provide treatment to patients with medical, orthopaedic and neurological conditions.
Hand therapy
The hand therapy service provides rehabilitation of the hand, wrist and forearm in order to regain functional use following trauma, surgery or disease. Treatment is aimed at relieving pain and increasing mobility and strength.
The service is based at Epsom Hospital and accepts referrals from Trust consultants and local GPs.
Dietetics
The dietetic team aims to identify malnutrition and to ensure that all patients have optimum nutrition during and after their stay at Epsom Hospital. Good nutrition is essential to recovery and rehabilitation.
Dieticians are the lead experts on the assessment and treatment of malnutrition, optimising nutritional intake using fortified diets, nutritional supplements and/or tube feeding/TPN. The team works closely with the nursing and catering staff at Epsom Hospital to achieve these outcomes, providing training to staff across services.
In the outpatient setting, dieticians advise patients with gastric disorders and diabetes. Dieticians work in partnership with patients and their families, educating, supporting and empowering them to make lifelong changes.
Speech and language therapy
Speech and language therapy (SLT) provides services that anticipate and respond to the needs of individuals who experience speech, language communication or swallowing disorders. Speech and language therapists work in partnership with these individuals and their families and with other professionals and agencies to reduce the impact of these difficulties.
Using a variety of approaches to assess, diagnose improve and compensate for the difficulties resulting from these disorders, they help to improve people's wellbeing and ability to participate in daily life.
Speech and language therapy can reduce the health risks of poor nutrition and respiratory disease associated with swallowing disorders and reduces the risk of surgical intervention by maintaining healthy voice mechanisms.
Podiatry
The podiatry team provide podiatric assessment and management of complex foot complications for patients with diabetes. This includes complications such as ulceration, charcot arthropathy, severe ischemia etc.
All podiatrists are able to undertake wound assessments, including carrying out vascular and neurological examinations, wound debridement and have access to various dressings and therapies in addition to utilising pressure relief techniques.
The service works closely with the relevant multidisciplinary teams and liaises with community services to ensure a co-ordinated approach to care is achieved.
Paediatric services
There is a dedicated paediatric team based at Epsom Hospital who provide physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy and dietetic services to inpatients, outpatients and patients based in the community.
The team treats a wide range of respiratory, neurological orthopaedic and developmental problems.
