Specialist gym to support stroke survivors' recovery

Stroke survivors in Lanarkshire will benefit from a new specialist community gym designed to improve their recovery and quality of life.

- IAN BUNTING

Launching later this year in Blantyre Life, the Technologically Enriched Rehabilitation Gym (TERG) aims to increase access to evidence-based levels of rehabilitation after stroke, providing vital support to patients following hospital discharge.

In Wishaw and Blantyre, patients will be supported by NHS-trained assistant practitioners with oversight and support from therapists managed by South Lanarkshire University Health and Social Care Partnership.

The gym will host an eight-week programme for groups of up to 10 people, offering two-hour rehabilitation sessions from two to five days a week.

It is being rolled out following the success of the Sir Jules Thorn Co-Creation Centre for Rehabilitation Technology at the University of Strathclyde, which has already helped hundreds of stroke survivors with a cutting-edge, technology-driven approach.

The centre has also been supported by Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland (CHSS) since 2022, with funding for two research assistants, who design and supervise the rehabilitation programme and manage the day-to-day operation of the centre.

The project has been made possible thanks to additional funding of over £461,000, including a further £300,000 from the Sir Jules Thorn Charitable Trust and £161,492 from Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland, as well as staffing commitments from each of the host organisations.

A pilot study at University Hospital Wishaw, run by Strathclyde and the NHS, has also shown promising results for acute stroke patients.

By offering this innovative rehabilitation within the hospital, patients received up to three times more therapy than traditional methods.