A Sussex hospital-based stroke rehabilitation programme, delivered by health instructors and NHS physiotherapists, has seen far-reaching benefits and there are now hopes to extend it further.

Over the course of 26 weeks, the Active Sussex Reconditioning Pilot provided 54 supervised physical activity sessions, led by health instructors from 20/20 Health, alongside physiotherapists at the Irvine Rehabilitation Unit at Bexhill Hospital.

Patients received four sessions a week in the hospital – an average of nine extra hours of exercise – in addition to community-based provision in Hastings, Bexhill, Lewes and Eastbourne.

Early data analysis shows patients experienced a 50 per cent improvement in balance, a 34 per cent increase in sit-to-stand ability, and a 22 per cent reduction in rehabilitation complexity – offering them greater independence and improved recovery.

Karen Poole, AHP rehabilitation consultant for East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust and strategic clinical lead for rehabilitation and reablement at NHS Sussex, says The Active Sussex Reconditioning Pilot serves as an exemplar of what can be achieved when the fitness and healthcare sectors team up.

“Increased access to physical and social activity for patients contributed to their mood, wellbeing and a positive culture across our workforce,” she explains. “This pilot has also tested how we can work with non-NHS partners in traditional NHS environments, paving the way for greater confidence in this approach.”

Ross Joannides, strategic relationship manager at Active Sussex, says: “Bringing health instructors into the hospital setting where they can work with NHS staff to address the issue of deconditioning and then transition patients into community-based activity is a significant step forward for the way Active Sussex wants to support the health system at a local level.

“The project has shown how voluntary and community-based partners can work with statutory organisations to overcome governance challenges to deliver a service that has had a significant impact on patients’ health outcomes.”

An unexpected barrier that was encountered was getting patients to the community classes once they had returned home. In order to make the classes more accessible there are plans to offer classes at multiple places in the community.

The programme was funded by the Active Partnership and delivered in partnership with East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, Active Rother, East Sussex Public Health and 20/20 Health.

Subject to additional funding, the project team aims to live-stream exercise sessions from the Irvine Unit to other hospitals across East Sussex, potentially expanding further into West Sussex. Such scaling up could create a ripple effect, inspiring other hospital trusts to adopt this successful model.

Predominantly funded by Sport England, Active Sussex is one of 43 Active Partnerships across England that aims to address inequality and empower everyone to be active in a way that works for them.