THURSDAY 1 SEPTEMBER, 2022

Photograph attached: A patient enjoying yoga at Murray Royal Hospital

Mental health patients supported to use physical activity as part of recovery

Get Out Get Active (GOGA) Tayside is supporting mental health inpatients to use physical activity for recovery, intervention and prevention at Murray Royal Hospital in Perth.

Since March 2022, Get Out Get Active Tayside, a partnership between NHS Tayside and Scottish Disability Sport, has been delivering physical activity opportunities in General Adult Psychiatry wards in Murray Royal Hospital to aid patients with their rehabilitation.

Lynsey Gerrie, GOGA Tayside Administrator said, “The programme also aims to help patients sustain activity beyond discharge by helping them to explore different types of activity, teaching them new skills and providing a pathway of opportunities to attend sessions both out in the community or online as part of the GOGA Tayside programme – all of which remain fun, free and suitable for all abilities to make them easily accessible.

“The purpose is to offer patients a better quality of life by using a holistic approach to their care, which will improve their overall wellbeing and, in turn, reduce the likelihood of relapse and re-admission.

“Feedback from patients has been overwhelmingly positive and the service is being extended and adapted to other specialist wards within the hospital and to other sites across Tayside, offering activities such as gardening. This will provide a range of benefits such as the lasting legacy of the gardens for new patients, education around nutrition by growing vegetables which are then used within cooking classes, socialisation and teaching people new life skills.

“The ongoing collaboration has been made possible by the hard work of many NHS staff, with special thanks to Improvement Adviser, Marina Young, Activity Support Worker, Kristin McBride, and the ward nursing teams.”

Contact:

NHS Tayside Communications

(01382) 740718