Allied Health Professions

Allied Health Professionals (AHP’s) support people of all ages in their recovery, helping them return to work and participate in sport and education.

They enable children and adults to make the most of their skill and abilities, and develop and maintain healthy lifestyles.

Throughout the provision of specialist diagnostics, assessment, treatment and rehabilitation services, older people are encouraged to maximise their potential and quality of life, maintaining where possible mobility and independence at home.

Nutrition & Dietetics

Dietitians work with individuals and groups to promote nutritional wellbeing, prevent food related problems and treat disease. Dieticians also promote nutritional wellbeing in the population by working with partner organisations such as P&K Council and Voluntary Agencies.

The Nutrition & Dietetic Service is based at Perth Royal Infirmary, but provides a service to all of the following areas:

• Perth Royal Infirmary
• Murray Royal Hospital
• All five P&K Community Hospitals
• Health Centres and GP. Surgeries throughout P&K
• Domiciliary visits to patients receiving home enteral nutrition.

A dietitian also works closely with the Public Health Team for Perth & Kinross, providing a service to Central Health Care.

Contact telephone: 01738 473250

Occupational Therapy

Occupational Therapy Services contribute to assessing and rehabilitating people who are having difficulty carrying out daily activities. These can be the result of accidents, physical disability, developmental/learning issues and mental health problems from childhood through to old age. Occupational therapists are able to provide specialist advice/education for the provision of equipment and adaptations to promote independence at home.

Occupational Therapy aims to help people reach their best level of function and independence in all aspects of daily life. These include personal independence, employment, social, recreational/leisure pursuits and interpersonal relationships.

Occupational Therapy is provided individually or in groups within a wide range of hospital and community clinical settings across Perth and Kinross (General Medicine, Paediatrics, Mental Health, Medicine for the Elderly, Old Age Psychiatry, Community Hospitals).

Contact telephone: 01738 473466

Mental Health Occupational Therapy Service

• Adults with acute mental health problems, as in-patients and outpatients.
• Adults with severe and or enduring mental health problems, as in-patients and outpatients, within hospital and community settings.
• Mentally disordered offenders in hospital based forensic services.
• Older persons with mental health problems, as in-patients, day patients and outpatients.

Occupational Therapy in mental health aims to help people reach their maximum level of function and independence in all aspects of daily life, including: personal independence, employment, social, recreational/leisure pursuits and interpersonal relationships.

Occupational Therapists can help people when they:

• May have lost confidence with things that they used to do.
• Find day to day activities difficult for a variety of reasons
• Would like to improve their ability to look after themselves or take part in community activities.

Occupational Therapists can work with people at home, in hospital or in the community. We work out with people a plan that meets their needs. We always respect individual’s privacy and what they want to do.

• The Occupational Therapy Service in Mental Health operates in the following areas:
• General Adult Psychiatry, Murray Royal Hospital (Acute and Rehabilitation)
• Community Mental Health Team, Perth City
• Adult Forensic Psychiatry, Murray Royal Hospital
• Older Peoples’ Psychiatry (Older Peoples’ Community Mental Health Team), Murray Royal Hospital

Referral to the service may be from a variety of sources to qualified occupational therapists. Within hospital settings this can be from other members of the health care team or from individuals/carers themselves. In community settings, referrals can be made through centralised referral points – contact the team concerned for more information. Therapists must have access to the individual’s doctor or consultant psychiatrist. At times the service operates a waiting list and will prioritize services according to set criteria.

Contact the Occupational Therapy department at Murray Royal Hospital (telephone 01738 562 370) for information about the referrals. Referral forms are available for General Adult and Forensic Psychiatry within Murray Royal Hospital and in Perth City Community Mental Health Team.

Contact telephone: 01738 562338

Paediatric Occupational Therapy Service

The Paediatric occupational therapy service in Perth and Kinross offers a specialist assessment, treatment and advisory approach to children from 0-18 years with a wide variety of difficulties and disabilities.

The role of Occupational therapy is to promote the optimum level of functional independence in all areas of a child’s life, i.e. school, play, leisure and home. The service is based within Perth Royal Infirmary, but children may be seen at Home, in their school, or in other community settings.

A medical referral is required to access Paediatric Occupational Therapy. The majority of referrals come from consultant paediatricians in hospital or community settings.
Referrals are accepted from GPs or other therapists as long as the child has previously seen a paediatrician.
Pre-school children access the service through paediatricians. Your GP can refer your child for a paediatric screening with a paediatrician. School age children access the service through the School Health Service, based at Drumhar Health Centre, Perth.

Contact telephone: 01738 473250

Physiotherapy

The main function of Physiotherapy is to assess and treat people with physical problems caused by accident, ageing, disease or disability, using physical approaches to maximise the patient’s recover and alleviate pain.
This may take the form of health promotion, assessment, diagnosis, intervention, advice or education/training of carers and other health care professionals.

Physiotherapists treat patients of all ages, and within both in and out patient settings.
Referrals will be accepted from all medical practitioners on the appropriate referral form.

Patients are seen within Perth Royal Infirmary, P&K Community Hospitals, GP Surgeries, various education establishments (including mainstream and special needs), various social service locations (such as resource centres), Health Centres and patients own homes.

Contact telephone: 01738 473282

Adult Learning Disability Physiotherapy Service

Chartered Physiotherapists based in Perth Royal Infirmary provide a service to adults with a learning disability who attend Gleaneagles ARC, Kinnoull Centre, Kinnoull House and Blairgowrie ARC. In addition, identified students attending Perth College S.E.N department are also seen.
The Physiotherapist assesses all clients requiring treatment and provides an individual written programme for each client which she carries out when she attends the centre, However, care staff are trained by the physiotherapist to carry out the individual programme in her absence.

Other treatment modalities ie. hydrotherapy and rebound therapy are offered to clients if they are considered beneficial as part of their overall treatment programme.
Liveactive, a new initiative provided by a multi-disciplinary team of physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy and Speech and Language Therapy is in operation at Bells Sports Centre and adults with a learning disability are able to access this service.

The Physiotherapist will liaise with client, parent/carer and day centre staff to address any wheelchair or orthotic issues and to provide a written review report as and when requested.

Each physiotherapist has a regular timetabled slot for each centre, but the Superintendent Physiotherapist can be contacted Monday - Friday via a mobile or at base.

Contact Telephone: 01738 473330

Podiatry

The main function of Podiatry is to assess, diagnose and manage conditions affecting the feet and lower limbs, with the aim of maintaining and promoting foot health.
The Podiatry Service can be accessed by the resident population of Perth & Kinross who present with foot and/or foot-related problems and who meet certain eligibility criteria (available on request).

Treatment is provided in Health Centres, Surgeries, Podiatry Mobile Surgery, Day Centres and the patient’s own home.
The Podiatry Department will determine the most appropriate site for treatment.

Further information and referrals should be directed to Podiatry Department, Perth Royal Infirmary.

Contact telephone: 01738 473980

Speech & Language Therapy

The main function of Speech & Language Therapy is to work with children and adults who experience speech, language or communication impairment.

In addition SLT staff work with people who have swallowing problems due to neurological disorder.
Speech & Language Therapists offer assessment, diagnosis and a range of interventions that may include direct therapy.

In Perth & Kinross children are seen in a range of Health and Education settings. Adults and older people are seen in Hospital and Community settings.
Adults with Learning Disabilities are seen by the Tayside-wide service.

All contact should be via the SLT Dept, at Perth Royal Infirmary.

Contact telephone: 01738 473714