11 April 2017
Stroke team pick up the pace with a delivery of e-bikes
On Monday 10 April 2017 the Early
Supported Discharge (ESD) Team for Stroke, based at South Bristol
Community Hospital (SBCH) and part of University Hospitals Bristol
NHS Foundation Trust, took delivery of 2 electric-bikes
(e-bikes).
The ESD team are a multidisciplinary
team made up of Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Therapy
Technicians, Speech & Language therapy, Nutrition &
Dietetics, Nursing, and Admin team members. The team provide
specialist rehabilitation to stroke survivors at the point that
they leave hospital.
The idea was the brain child of one of
the teams Therapy Technicians James Barber. A keen cyclist himself,
James linked in with fellow cycling enthusiast Caroline Bannister
(speciality & Deputy General Manager at SBCH) to get this idea
off the ground.
The bikes have been provided on a 6
month loan agreement from Bristol City Council as part of their
'Travel West' Electric Loan Bike Scheme. The aim of this loan
scheme is to demonstrate the value of having e-bikes available to
staff for business trips and to encourage sustainable and active
travel, whilst reducing congestion and the environmental impact of
commuter and business travel.
"The e-bikes will make travelling
around the congested parts of the city on home visits far easier
and make parking issues a thing of the past" said Caroline
Bannister.
It has already generated a lot of
interest within the team with some staff now wanting to take up
cycling again after many years away from the activity. Others, who
already cycle when possible, are keen to take advantage of the
assistance the e-bikes can provide in negotiating the many hills
around Bristol. Meaning they arrive at their destination quicker
and a lot less hot and bothered!
Having returned from their first visit
ESD members Penny & Emma said "We've just done 8km. That was
really enjoyable. It was fab! Even the patients remarked on the
fact that we visited by bike and said. Well done!"
Currently most of the team use their
own cars for home visits but now they will be looking to use the
e-bike especially for local journeys. Travel time could be reduced,
staff will become more active, and it also means being kinder to
the environment.
The team will be logging their
journeys so they can monitor how often the bikes are being used. It
is hoped that at the end of the 6 month trial they will be able to
secure funding to continue using e-bike.
Importantly the ESD team have a key
role in educating their stroke patients on secondary stroke
prevention and in the promotion of a healthy lifestyle and &
physical activity. Being physically active themselves, the team are
acting as positive role models to other staff, to their patients,
and to the local community.
As a trust we are also aware of our
obligation to promote the health and wellbeing of our workforce. We
aim to encourage, and where possible to support staff to walk,
cycle or use other modes of transport involving physical activity
to travel to and from work and as part of a working day. We wish
them all well!
Caroline is also arranging a '
Cycling Activity Day' as part of the SBCH 5th Year
Anniversary hosted at the Bristol Family Cycling Centre, Bamfield
on Saturday 10 June from 10am-4pm. This event will provide
anyone in the local community the chance and opportunity to try
cycling and learn new skills and is another example of the great
work being done at SBCH to promote physical activity in NHS Staff,
patients, and carers.
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