An insight into the lessons learnt by a Sport Rehabilitator in 2020

Sport Rehabilitator, Jon White, was successfully running three clinics and employing five members of staff when COVID-19 occurred.

Jon spoke to us about his first hand experiences of continuing to operate during lockdown and the fascinating insight into how he attracted patients from different countries. Jon also goes into detail on how he originally set up his clinic and his vision of the future. Thank you for sharing this with us!

View the full article here

BASRaT's Chief Exec Steve Aspinall and Chairman Allan Munro talk about Opportunities to improve Global Health in this edition of BJSM edited by BASRaT.

As always, BJSM is packed full of relevant editorials, reviews and original research including a contribution from Sport Rehabilitator, Marlize De Vivo to an editorial on physical activity and pregnancy. This edition also includes:

Editorials

- Run for your life: tweaking the weekly physical activity volume for longevity

- Attacking the pandemic of physical inactivity: what is holding us back?

- Bump start needed: linking guidelines, policy and practice in promoting physical activity during and beyond pregnancy - Marlize De Vivo

Reviews
- Exercise alone and exercise combined with education both prevent episodes of low back pain and related absenteeism

- The aerobic exercise prescriptions and their effects on markers of cardiovascular health and systemic inflammation in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

BASRaT membership includes a subscription to BJSM. View this edition here

BASRaT Registrants have put themselves forward to work within the NHS redeployment scheme. We talk to two Sport Rehabilitators and take a closer look at the fantastic work they are doing.

The NHS and MSK Reform appealed for professionals who could temporarily work in an NHS role. Rehab Recruits from MSK Reform aimed to bring willing MSK clinicians together to help the NHS in its fight against Covid-19.

Megan Thorley, from Rugby Union Sport Rehabber to NHS Physiotherapy Associate Practitioner, mental health wards

In merely two years Megan has thrown herself into life as a Sport Rehabilitator. After leaving Salford University in July 2018 she volunteered with Macclesfield RUFC and experienced leading the rehab for their 2^nd team. The voluntary role paid off when she was promoted to Lead Sport Rehabilitator taking full control of the 1^st team. Megan moved onto Otley RUFC as Head of Medical Department and was aiming to start her own Rehab Business just before Lockdown.

                                      


Megan signed up to the NHS Redeployment scheme as she was keen to experience working for the NHS. Her week will be split between two hospitals where she will work alongside Physiotherapists, initially shadowing two days a week and running exercise activities for service users for the rest of the week. Megan will start running exercise activities for service users in groups or individually depending on their needs and cooperation. As the service users on the mental health wards have been through the criminal system, Megan will have the help of the team when communicating with service users and encouraging them to get moving.

Looking forwards, Megan is keen to keep her future plans open, she is hoping to work in the NHS for as long as possible and is considering the qualifications she would need to make the position permanent. Megan is also hoping to return to Otley RUFC when the season starts up again, however this is dependent on funding. 

Megan states “My confidence in myself has grown dramatically and I think my ability to adapt and respond quickly has developed whilst working in rugby. I'm sure that working on a mental health ward will develop my experience base even more and I can take that forward into future roles.” 

Daniel Baker, Clinical Director and Rehabilitation and Exercise Medicine Practitioner of Peak Performance Therapy Ltd to NHS Rehab Assistant

Daniel felt compelled to volunteer for the Rehab Recruits scheme as he possesses the necessary knowledge, skills and qualifications as a Sport Rehabilitator to help the NHS in their time of need.

Before the pandemic, Daniel was operating his own an MSK/Sports Injury and Rehabilitation Clinic in Essex and working part-time at West Ham United FC. Previously he was Head of Rehabilitation and Medical Lead at Basildon RFC, Rehabilitation Therapist at Southend United FC and worked in private practice as a Senior Rehabilitation Therapist.

Daniel is working at Brentwood Community Hospital which has been redesigned and reconfigured in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  They currently face the challenge of providing care to patients with severe and complex illnesses, with multifaceted medical histories, including additional COVID-19 illness.

All patients require extensive medical and therapy needs and have been transferred over from more acute settings such as ICU’s/ITU’s from nearby Hospitals. They are operating four wards with a fifth step up/escalation ward. All wards have COVID positive and COVID negative area / isolation side rooms.

In his role within the NHS, Daniel is providing assistance to physiotherapy staff who provide physiotherapy to COVID and non-COVID patients with a range of complex conditions. Daniel also floats across all wards, working autonomously providing therapy and rehabilitation to patients that require assistance with functional rehabilitation and transfers. Daniel liaises with occupational therapists to ensure patients possess the adequate function, mobility and independence to perform their usual ADL’s prior to discharge and ensures their needs can be met once they leave hospital.

Daniel states “It is amazing to see how a GSR can fit into a multi-disciplinary team including doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists ensuring that patients are able to receive the best care from admission to discharge.”

Looking forwards, Daniel wishes primarily to see a huge success rate in rehabilitating patients not only to their pre-admission baselines, but providing them with a greater quality of life beyond this pandemic, thanks to the incredible response from many healthcare professionals.

Daniel will then re-open his business and return to West Ham in the very near future.

Daniel hopes that working together with MSK reform will help raise the profile and awareness of Sport Rehabilitators through our ability to work in a variety of settings. Daniel hopes that Rehabbers are seen as equals to other professions in aspects such as clinical, medical and sport environments, advocating role-orientated recruitment, enabling the opening of MSK roles across professional boundaries and providing increased opportunities for other Sport Rehabilitators.

Congratulations to Daniel and Megan for supporting our NHS during this time and for helping to raise the profile of our profession.

Following the UK Government’s changes to social distancing measures, BASRaT has just issued updated guidance regarding Face-to-Face (F2F) appointments.

The update provides guidance on: rehabilitation and training outdoors; shielding groups; those who are not responding to virtual management and care delivered in domiciliary settings. Compiled by BASRaT for Registrants, the thorough Guidance follows changes to social distancing measures, including

- Government guidelines           - Patients who are shielding          - Professional Liability Insurance          - Professional and Regulatory Responsibilities          - F2F Decision Making Process          -Risk Assessment & Management          - PPE and Infection Control           -       Screening and Classification          - Evaluating the clinical need for F2F and defining “urgent"          - Patient not responding to virtual management          - Informing the patient and obtaining consent          - Treatment planning          - Providing care in the community setting or in patients’ homes          - Providing Rehabilitation and Training outdoors

View the complete document here 

Over the last few months, BASRaT has been working hard to guide our Registrants through the challenges we have faced. Following the UK Government's announcement of “lockdown” BASRaT acted quickly to issue guidance that face to face appointments should not take place, and should be replaced by virtual consultations. To support this challenging transition, BASRaT funded access to telehealth and exercise rehabilitation software for all its registrants, this quickly provided a practical solution and enabled registrants to continue practising safely; protecting both themselves and the public. Alongside this, BASRaT produced guidance on the implementation of virtual consultations and hosted webinars with experts in telehealth to provide registrants with the vital skills and knowledge needed to make use of this new way of working. 

BASRaT also joined forces with 16 other organisations to tackle financial challenges, writing to the Chancellor, requesting that the Treasury review the measures in place to support businesses that had been overlooked.

BASRaT’s register is accredited by the Professional Standards Authority, the PSA develops standards for regulators and accredited registers and encourages them to develop good practice. BASRaT has worked with the 27 Registers making up the Accredited Registers Collaborative group on specific issues and BASRaT has been thankful to engage with other healthcare professional bodies and regulators on shared challenges throughout the COVID-19 outbreak. 

Business and Self-Employed guidance and other updates

Rehab Guru – Access to all BASRaT members.

BASRaT will help ensure our members can carry on working with their patients with exercise prescription software. BASRaT has paid for a 12 month subscription to Rehab Guru for all members.

We want to ensure our members can carry on working with their patients, Rehab Guru’s Exercise Prescription software will help you to provide your invaluable treatment to your clients. BASRaT has quickly secured and paid for the contracts to help you find solutions to work with your patients. 

Rehab Guru - Exercise Prescription Software

- Over 5,000 exercises plus you can create your own

- Fully personalise your training programme or use a pre-made template

- Use on Apple, Android, laptop and desktop

- Maintain contact and track progress and issues remotely

REHAB GURU SIGN UP INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1 – Sign up to Rehab Guru here.
Step 2 – Verify your email address through the link emailed to you
Step 3 – Email BASRaT with your registered email address and membership number
Step 4 – Await confirmation from BASRaT*. Please share with your fellow GSRs.

*Process - Please be patient as we set this up, it is a manual process and we will do our best to get this up as running as soon as we can. 

Telehealth from Rehab Guru
 
Telehealth offers a video calling feature so that you can continue to deliver care to your patients remotely.

Securely encrypted end-to-end, it also allows a link to be sent to multiple people for group classes.



Telehealth allows a simple one click connection to your client who joins the video call from the Rehab Guru Client app on iOS, Android or Web. This quick start video explains how telehealth works. Further information can be found on the telehealth support page. 

Statement on face to face contact

COVID-19 - BASRaT Statement on the continuation of face to face and 'hands-on' patient contact.  View here.

Guidance for Self Employed Members

Sources of guidance for the Self-Employed and businesses amid the COVID-19 outbreak are available here. 

Guidance on the implementation of remote consultation:

Practical advice including video and phone consultations, email and mobile messaging. The guide also covers access to
software, insurance, appropriateness and further practical advice.

Sports Injury Fix

Practical advice for working from home.

We are available to support you with other issues you may have during this time. You can reach us on 03301 332 123.