What we do
Physiotherapy helps to restore movement and function when someone is affected by injury, illness or disability. It can also help to reduce your risk of injury or illness in the future.
At the core is the patient’s involvement in their own care, through education, awareness, empowerment and participation in their treatment.
Occupational Therapy helps you live your best life at home, at work and everywhere else. It’s about being able to do the things you want and have to do. That could mean helping you overcome challenges going to work, playing sport or simply doing the dishes. Everything is focused on increasing independence and wellbeing.
Our teams work in the hospital, alongside the multidisciplinary team. Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists often work very closely together and you may not need to see both.
Our acute teams include Front Door Therapy, Acute Medical, Orthopaedics, Surgery, Critical Care, Hand Therapy and Urgent Care.
Community Therapy teams are explained elsewhere (click here).
Our assessments may include:
- Walking and movement aimed at function at home
- Activities of daily living (ADL)
- Cognition and mood
- Chest/breathing problems
- Equipment needs
- Onward referral suitability
- Identification of care needs for the individual
How to access the service
For Front Door Therapy, Acute Medical, Orthopaedics, Surgery, Critical Care the multidisciplinary team (MDT) refer for therapy assessment.
Patients may be seen jointly by an OT and Physiotherapist or by just one discipline, depending on their needs.
Hand therapy accept referrals from orthopaedic consultants only.
Urgent Care therapists are accessed via the emergency pathway.
Where to find us
We are mostly based in the Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy Departments at Royal Blackburn Hospital and Burnley General Hospital.
- Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital: Level 1
- Burnley General Teaching Hospital: Level 1 Rehabilitation Unit, Area 7
However, we are often found in clinical areas rather than in these areas.
The ward staff should be able to contact therapists directly if required.
Key team members
Our staff include:
- Operational Service Lead Acute Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy
- Clinical Service Lead Acute Occupational Therapy/Physiotherapy for Medicine
- Clinical and Operational Service Lead Acute Occupational Therapy/Physiotherapy for Surgery, Orthopaedics, Critical Care, Upper Limb Therapy, Hand Therapy and Urgent Care.
- Advanced Care Practitioners in Upper Limb therapy, Hand Therapy, Critical Care and Urgent Care.
- Clinical Team Leaders in Medicine, Front Door, Urgent Care, Orthopaedics, Critical Care, Surgery, Hand Therapy.
- Advanced Therapists/ Extended Scope Practitioners
- Band 6 Therapists
- Band 5 Therapists
- Students (Occupational and Physiotherapy) working under the supervision of qualified staff.
- Apprentices on route to qualification.
- Assistant Practitioners
- Integrated Therapy Assistants
General enquiries
01254 734119 Therapy Department Reception who can direct you as required.
The in-patient teams primarily work between 8.30am and 4.30pm with extended hours in some areas.
Additional information
Chartered Society of Physiotherapists
Royal College of Occupational Therapists
Staying Steady/Preventing Falls advice leaflet.
https://www.csp.org.uk/publications/get-go-guide-staying-steady
AHP’s on Twitter
Occupational and Physiothery Therapists on Twitter