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New patient gym opens at Elgar Unit to support mental health
The Elgar Unit, an adult mental health inpatient facility at Newtown Hospital operated by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust, has opened a new gym for patients as part of their treatment and recovery. The facility, which officially opened on 15th July, is available to all inpatients at the unit.
The project transformed an underused space within the unit into a dedicated gym, improving patient wellbeing and responding directly to patient feedback highlighting the importance of access to exercise facilities during hospital stays.
To support the safe use of the new facility, Occupational Therapy Assistants Lynne Turner and Stephen Rose have successfully completed specialist training and are now qualified gym instructors.
Helen Allen, Lead Allied Health Professional for Elgar Unit/Senior Occupational Therapist, said:
"We know that staying active can make a real difference to how people feel, both physically and mentally. For people receiving mental health care, regular exercise can help establish healthy routines, improve sleep, reduce stress and anxiety, ease symptoms of depression, and provide positive coping strategies.
We're really pleased to be able to offer this new gym to patients at the Elgar Unit. With support from our trained gym instructors, patients can develop personalised exercise plans that promote their health and wellbeing and form an important part of their recovery journey."
The new gym forms part of the Trust's ongoing commitment to supporting recovery focused care and helping patients maintain and improve their physical health alongside their mental health treatment.
Notes:
Pictured: Matt Thomas, Divisional Director of Nursing and Therapies for the Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Service Delivery Unit, and Lynne Turner and Stephen Rose, Occupational Therapy Assistants.