NHS Wiltshire and Wiltshire Council have worked together to provide specialised exercise classes at leisure centres around the county for people who have survived a stroke. The first class starts in Trowbridge this month and classes will begin in Marlborough in January 2012.
People who’ve had a stroke need to take exercise to counter reduced body strength, mobility and fitness. It will also help improve mood changes and social isolation brought on by their stroke.
Ten exercise professionals from Wiltshire leisure services – as well as two physios from Wiltshire community health services – completed the specialist instructor training course.
Pictured left are three of Wiltshire’s ‘exercise after stroke’ instructors – (l to r) Paul Needham, Trish Cowie and Richard Latham.
Welcoming this joint development, Councillor Stuart Wheeler, cabinet member for leisure, sport and culture, said: “This project will considerably improve the quality of life of those people who have suffered a stroke, by providing specific exercises and support that will enable to retain as much independence as possible.”
The exercise after stroke service is part of a range of improvements to stroke services in Wiltshire. These have included better ambulance response to stroke calls, direct admission to stroke units in hospitals, a county-wide ‘clot busting’ (more officially ‘thombolysis’) service and special clinics for those who have had ‘mini-strokes’.
A major review of stroke care by the national Care Quality Commission placed NHS Wiltshire in the category of best performing Primary Care Trusts – ranking the PCT twentieth out of 151 PCTs for the stroke services it delivers.
