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Clinical fora

As a member of this specialist section you can access each of the new fora. If members have any queries or wish to share information please contact us.

We would love to hear from you to learn about any local service development initiatives or research projects. We would also value your input in shaping the clinical fora. Are you developing anything interesting in your area? Are there any local initiatives that may be of interest to others? We would like to hear what our members are doing in each clinical forum. We would like you to share your learning experiences. Do you have any ideas, suggestions or want to know more? We would like to hear from you. Please email rcotssmajorhealthconditions@gmail.com with the specific clinical representative included in the subject header.

Aims of our clinical fora

  1. To promote best practice for occupational therapists working with each clinical area; including support, advice, information exchange, networking, and developing knowledge and skills through promotion of research.
  2. To influence, develop, contribute and collaborate on national guidelines and initiatives; including promotion of prevention and health education, with a view to the development of resources and information.
  3. To provide professional networking opportunities for sharing practice, developing resources and promotion of CPD events.

Clinical forum: Palliative care and end of life

Representative: Deb Pitts

Palliative care is considered as an approach whereby the person's physical, psychosocial and spiritual needs are considered. Occupational therapists have a unique role within palliative care as their dual training in physical and mental health enables them to support people through their illness and any resulting disability.

In recent years there has been an increased awareness of the importance of palliative rehabilitation as an aspect of palliative care. Palliative rehabilitation is a whole-team philosophy for use with people at end of life which integrates rehabilitation, enablement and self-management. It ensures that the individual is supported in living life as fully and meaningfully as possible, until the end of life. This aligns well with occupational therapy's core philosophy of enabling and enhancing a person's engagement in meaningful and purposeful occupations to improve their health and well-being.

Clinical forum: Cancer care

Representatives: Helen Bowker, Rose Marshall and Sarah Lewis

Across the UK cancer incidences are increasing, however survival rates have improved thanks to advances in medical treatments, and the government prioritising earlier cancer detection and quicker diagnosis.

The importance of prehabilitation prior to commencing cancer treatment is a growing concept, with occupational therapists playing an important role in supporting patients through their cancer treatments in maintaining their occupational engagement in meaningful and purposeful occupations.

Patients can be seen at various points through their cancer journey providing a range of interventions such as fatigue management, breathlessness management, anxiety management, body image support and palliative rehabilitation.

Clinical Forum: Cardiac and respiratory

Representatives: Lynsey Wright and Amy Chadwick

Occupational therapists working within cardiac and respiratory have a unique role. They have the ability to enhance a person's engagement in meaningful and purposeful occupations, through using a range of compensatory, remedial and educational approaches. Their work may involve:

  • supporting the person to develop self-management skills to enable the person to take control of their own health
  • health promotion
  • assessing the person's psychosocial needs.

Another growing area within cardiorespiratory rehabilitation is occupational therapists supporting people get back to work, or support work-related issues.

Membership to the forum is through the Specialist Section pages. Membership of the Specialist Section enables you to be part of this forum. If members have any queries or wish to share information, please contact the forum lead.

Are you developing anything interesting in your area? Are there any local initiatives that may be of interest to others? We would like to hear what our members are doing in the Cardiac and Respiratory Clinical Forum. We would like you to share your learning experiences. Do you have any ideas or suggestions for the Cardiac and Respiratory Clinical Forum? If so we would like to hear from you. Please get in touch.