In February 2024 the Right to Rehab campaign was launched through a powerful series of billboards using the footprints of those undergoing rehab and radio adverts highlighting the importance of speech and language therapy.
The campaign was the brainchild of specialist rehab nurse Kate Tantam, who is based in Plymouth. Kate led the nationwide campaign calling on the Government to make rehabilitation services available to all those in need. She wants those recovering from illness or injury to get rehabilitation help regardless of where they live, as currently, Kate states, not all trusts have teams of specialists working together to help patients recover.
The campaign links to a petition which calls for rehabilitation leadership in every hospital, trust and board in the UK.
The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy’s Community Rehab Alliance are supporting the initiative and have taken things forward by developing a digital immersive experience that shows a rehab patient’s journey – Alice’s Road to Recovery.
The augmented reality experience allows the viewer to experience Alice’s journey and highlights the human cost of the crisis cycle where gaps in prevention and rehabilitation put greater pressure on GP surgeries and A&E.
More than 30 members of the Community Rehabilitation Alliance, of which INPA is also a member, have lent their support to the campaign, along with healthcare charities, professional bodies and celebrities such as Stephen Fry who himself needed rehabilitation following a fall. The campaign uses the #RightToRehab.
We fully support this campaign which would ensure that more people get their lives back following life-changing trauma. Sometimes these goals may not seem huge but being able to re-learn the smallest of things can make a massive difference to day to day life.
Rehabilitation reduces the length of stay in hospital and eases pressure on the NHS. It increases functional outcomes and improves health-related quality of life. Whereas poor access to rehab can slow or halt recovery from injury or illness, damaging quality of life and mental health and causing lasting disability and distress.
We look forward to seeing developments in 2025 that will help move towards a better outcome for anyone in need of rehabilitation, regardless of where they live.