What’s New

A new UKCA/CE certified mask developed by the Manchester based Globus Group has received approval from the Department of Health and Social Care for use in hospitals, clinics, and social care settings across the UK.

The mask features a transparent panel in front of the wearer’s mouth, which enables them to communicate more effectively with people who may rely on lip reading and facial expressions, or people who live with hearing impairments, learning disabilities, autism and dementia. The clear panel is made of an anti-fog material, and is positioned to prevent reflection, thereby making the wearer’s mouth easier to see. It has also been designed with comfort and breathability in mind, with Globus Group noting that healthcare professionals wear masks for hours at a time.

Haraldur Agustsson, chief executive of Globus Group, said: “During the pandemic, the difficulties faced by people with communication needs have been compounded by the requirement for healthcare professionals to wear masks, as they often rely on visual cues. I am proud that Globus Group’s clear mask has been given approval by the Department for Health and Social Care for use across the NHS and care sector. This shows our ongoing commitment not just to improving people’s safety, but to also improving their lives.

A new pilot scheme in the Liverpool City Region is providing an outlet for adults to improve their physical and “For three decades the Globus Group story has been one of continuous innovation. At the beginning of the pandemic, this enabled us to accelerate our plans to build two new factories in Britain, creating a fantastic manufacturing platform that means the UK now has a resilient supply of PPE. “We are driven to provide solutions for our customers, harnessing our research and development capabilities to create better products, using more sustainable materials to offer high levels of protection.”

mental health through drumming. Rhythm Reaction is led by former NHS worker Steve Shotton, he set up the social enterprise in 2015 and left his job to run it full-time in 2016. It offers drumming workshops, therapeutic drum workshops, drum-a-cise exercise workouts, and drum lessons; they also work with groups and charities like Mencap and Maggie’s to empower adults who are, among other things, recovering from serious illness, or living with physical or learning disabilities. The organisation are one of 22 which receives funding from Kindred, a social economy community funded by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and Power to Change, who provide an interestfree loan of between £10,000 and £70,000 to social enterprises, which is reinvested into other projects of the same ilk once it has been paid back. Research by the Royal College of Music has shown that group drumming can help reduce anxiety and depression, and an additional study on the Rhythm Reaction druma-cise sessions showed an increase in mental health and wellbeing, with the sessions also raising participants’ heart rates to the levels needed for cardiovascular exercise. For more information on Rhythm Reaction, visit RhythmReaction.org.

Specialist healthcare and rehabilitation equipment provider Recare has appointed Grant Turner as its in-house occupational therapist. Having previously worked as a Band 6 wheelchair, mobility and seating OT for Northamptonshire Wheelchair Services, his experience with mobility, postural care and pressure management made him an ideal fit for the role, having previously fulfilled a rotational position at NHS Kettering General Hospital helping patients across a variety of units. He had also been working closely alongside Recare’s rehabilitation director, Tim Cox, with whom he shared premises, allowing them to form a “symbiotic bond” as they leased regarding patient equipment needs. Grant said: “My role at KGH led to working for Millbrook Healthcare Wheelchair Services where I honed my wheelchair assessment skills. This was perfect grounding for a role with Recare where I could be less limited on my prescriptions. Throughout my career I have always strived to go above and beyond for my patients so I guess you can say my expertise and talent have been released. My holistic approach to mobility perfectly fits with the Recare ethos. I am delighted to have joined such a caring and proactive team.”

The award-winning tech company GripAble has appointed Liz Gwynne as hand therapist to their clinical team, who will aid the group in supporting occupational therapists and physiotherapists who wish to include the GripAble platform in their patient treatment and rehab regimes. An occupational therapist with over 10 years of experience across both NHS and private practice, Liz joins the GripAble team from Spire St Anthony’s Hospital, where she had been working as a hand specialist. Speaking on her appointment, Liz said: “I want to be part of the future of occupational therapy and physiotherapy, and my new role at GripAble offers me the ideal opportunity to do just that, by guiding and supporting fellow therapists on using GripAble’s smart platform to help patients reach their rehab goals. “Through my clinical experience, I have gained a clear understanding of how debilitating loss of hand function can be for patients, and the impact it can have on physical and emotional wellbeing. GripAble’s digital technology and service is therapist-led and takes into account the challenges both patients and therapists face when building motivation and engagement into a rehab regime. By supporting and guiding therapists on how to maximise the potential of the GripAble platform, I aim to help them achieve greater efficiency in their workflow as well as improved outcomes for their patients.” GripAble clinical director Nicola Goldsmith added: “I am thrilled to welcome Liz to GripAble and the clinical team. Her in-depth, on-the-ground experience, clinical expertise, and passion for driving the medtech revolution within occupational therapy and physiotherapy make her the perfect fit for the role. We are continuing to grow our multidisciplinary team of experts at GripAble to help us reach more healthcare professionals and support them in implementing evidence-based practices and delivering efficient and effective therapy programmes for people with upper limb disorders.”

Glasgow Science Centre has announced the installation of its sixth accessible toilet facility, which has also been registered as an official Changing Places site, open to anyone in the area who wishes to use the facility. The toilet was installed with the assistance of Ropox, a leading UK manufacturer and installer of the accessible bathroom and kitchen solutions. It includes a Ropox StandardLine washbasin, an overhead hoist, specialist toilet, emergency alarm, shower trolly, and a controlled access door. Gerry McCann, customer service manager, said: “As we normally attract visitors from all over the UK and overseas, it is imperative that we can cater for people with all levels of mobility and independence and tapping into the knowledge and experience of companies such as Ropox certainly helps us achieve this. “Whenever we are making changes at the centre, we gather feedback from visitors to ensure we are going to meet their expectations and this is even more vital with our accessible toilet facilities as we want to make their time at the centre as stress free as possible. Once we had this feedback, we spoke to various manufacturers including Ropox and assessed their products before going ahead.”

Mobility retailer Ableworld landed three prestigious awards within quick succession last year, all within three weeks. Ableworld was awarded Business of the Year at the South Cheshire Business Awards 2021 in late November, Which? Trusted Trader of the Month for December 2021, and Handicare’s Retailer of the Year 2021 in late December, completing a trio of prestigious awards in quick succession. After being awarded Which? Trusted Trader of the Month, senior operations manager at Ableworld Sara said: “Being a Which? Trusted Trader gives our customers the confidence to deal with us, as it shows that we are a reputable trader that is recognised by a leading endorsement. We would definitely encourage traders considering signing up to go for it.” Speaking on the third and final award of the year, Mike Williams, managing director and founder of Ableworld, said: “This award comes as a recognition of the hard work we do in helping people live more comfortable and active lives, particularly during the past 18 months during the pandemic. We recognise that a Stairlift is a life necessity for a lot of our customers and therefore we continue to offer our 24 hour back up support and can install new stairlifts within days, providing the best possible customer service for our customers.”

After being unable to hold open days as a result of the global pandemic, Access BDD was delighted to attend an OT open day at the Dolphin Lifts showroom in Newcastle, where they were able to gain valuable feedback on their recently launched Flow X stairlift, alongside an assortment of equipment from other leading manufacturers who work with Dolphin Lifts. Gary Crofts, Access BDD’s UK sales manager, who was on hand at the open day to demonstrate the Flow X, said: “OTs play a vital role in our business as they are often instrumental in recommending our products so to have the opportunity to engage with so many in one day was fantastic. The showroom at Dolphin Lifts North is extremely well designed with plenty of space for visitors to view and try out the various products on show and I would like to take this opportunity to thank Stephen Smith and the team at Dolphin Lifts North for inviting us to the event and arranging such an enjoyable day.” Healthcare professionals gave the open day good feedback, praising the benefits of having the equipment on hand and their uses demonstrated by professionals. Susan, an OT assistant from Gateshead, said: “I think it is great to have events like this as we deal with a lot of different equipment and it is really useful to have a refresher to see what is new out there. I think the Flow X is great. Looking at it, at first, I thought there was a lot of features to operate and pass on to clients but having had a go myself I was impressed and I would certainly be recommending it to clients in the future. Equipment has come a long way in recent years and seeing the latest developments from various manufacturers in such a short space of time is great.”

York-based occupational therapy and sensory integration service OT4Me have moved into new premises, which features therapy swings and a climbing wall. Set up in January 2020 by occupational therapists Lizzie Huxford and Louise Newton, who have a combined total of over 35 years experience in the profession, the move to a larger space has allowed the pair to take on an additional OT, Beverley Nunes, and an intern, and hope this will allow them to work with other specialists, like speech therapists and psychologists. Lizzie told The Business Desk: “With the approach and equipment we use, it can look to the untrained eye as though we are just playing with our clients, but we are carefully planning the activities to ensure that we are providing the right type of sensory input to work on neuroplasticity, to attempt to influence the brain’s wiring.” Lizzie and Louise found assistance in locating their new premises from Ad:Venture, a programme that supports start-ups and young businesses within their first three years of trading. A grant given during the first lockdown was used to help the pair work remotely, as well as get them in contact with a business mentor and offer them webinar training. Councillor Andrew Waller, executive member for economy and strategic planning at the City of York Council, told The Business Desk: “OT4Me is a great example of spotting a need for local specialist support and taking the plunge during the pandemic to create a business in York providing help to individuals and their families which draws on the highly skilled workforce in the city.”