Allied Healthcare Professionals

Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) play a pivotal role in supporting the quality of care and recovery of patients experiencing critical illness. The South West Critical Care ODN fully support the work and practices of their AHP teams, whose work strives to improve patient outcomes and journey during and following critical illness.
 

The four core AHP professions supported within the AHP group within the SWCCN include: 

  • Dietetics 
  • Occupational therapy 
  • Physiotherapy 
  • Speech and Language Therapy 

How often do the Group meet?

Our group meets informally several times a year on TEAMs. We have open communication channels to support sharing of clinical practice and education, provide informal peer support/mentorship and collaborating on service improvement initiatives. 

Meeting dates:

25th April 2024 14:00 - 15:00 on MS Teams

Agenda to follow.

 

Please email the chairs or swccn@uhbw.nhs.uk for more info.

Chair & Contact details:

Chair: Caroline Ficke and James Bruce

Email: Caroline.ficke@nhs.net or James.bruce@uhbw.nhs.uk

Resources:

West Yorkshire Critical Care ODN are happy to share some invaluable rehabilitation resources which you may find useful on this page:

​Critical Care Rehabilitation Educational Package

  1. The Intensive Care Society report on Life After Critical Illness - a guide for developing and delivering aftercare services for critically ill patients (this includes guidance on delivery of rehabilitation services, how to business case for resources to improve services alongside guidance on delivery of patient information).

Life after critical illness

  1. The Intensive Care Soceity AHP Professional Development Framework

Dietetic pillar

AHP Professional Development Framework

The Occupational Therapy Pillar

The SLT Pillar

A user guide for Occupational Therapy Students on placement in Critical Care

A student support document has been created by OT's within our Network and includes useful guidance on for new OT Students about Patient Conditions,  wellbeing as an OT Student, Learning opportunities and examples of duties within the OT role. 

Please click here for full document

Here is an exerpt from the document:

The OT Role in Critical Care

The Occupational Therapist works in collaboration with the whole MDT, keeping patients at the centre of their care. They provide specialist assessments and treatments to optimise quality of life and functional independence. This includes providing physical, cognitive, psychological, and functional assessments, creating goals and devising rehabilitation plans.

Examples of what the OT will do include:

• Supporting with delirium management • Early identification of previous level of function • Stretches and bed positioning • Splinting • Seating • Early mobilisation and identifying a safe transfer method • Graded functional activities • Identifying activities of importance • Establishment of routine and sleep patterns • Functional and cognitive assessments • Treatment planning and goal setting • Recognition of emotional or behavioural changes • Education of fatigue management • Screening psychological need • Formalising upper limb rehabilitation plans • Screening neurological response levels in patients with a lower level of consciousness • Following patients up in clinic/in the community.

 

If you would like any further help or information, please email us.