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Eddie the Antagonist
Eddie the Antagonist
International Bobath Instructorflutor Association - Adult Hemiplegia (IBITAHI
MADAM - It was appalling enough to see the stupid antics of Eddie Edwards at the Winter Olympics - a man obviously unfit and under-trained for the sport in which he was participating. It is even more appalling to see the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy using this man's supposed 'celebrity' status to promote recruitment for our profession in a poster [detail shown left]. So far as I can see he stands for everything we teach against as practising therapists. What are we trying to do, create a circus or a profession that can be looked upon to provide intelligent and informed care?
MADAM - We would like to bring to the attention of readers the International Bobath InstructorlTutor Association - Adult Hemiplegia (IBITAH). This organisation, founded in 1984, now has 70 members world-wide and aims to: 1. Improve the treatment of adult hemiplegia and allied neurological conditions world-wide. 2. Promote and further the knowledgeof the Bobath concept relatedto adult hemiplegia. 3. Increase the availability of IBITAH recognised courses being held world-wide. 4. To maintain and improve the standards of IBITAH recognised courses. 5. To improve and standardise the training of instructors world-wide. 6. To organise regular meetings and eduational programmes to facilitate the exchange of ideas. Qualified course leaders are eligible for membership of IBITAH. Basic advanced courses and instructor training systems are already available. These courses are advertised under the IBITAH name. For further information please contact me as secretary of IBITAH. MARY LYNCH MCSP 83 Priory Road London NW6 3NL
Head Injury Care MADAM - We are writing with reference to the news item 'Specialist head injury units call' (July, page 325). We would like to draw therapists' attention to the North West Regional Head Injury Unit which is based at the Devonshire Royal Hospital, Buxton. The unit was opened in 1981 and, at present, it is a specialised 12-bed unit devoted to the rehabilitation of the severely head injured. We have no acuteheurosurgicallintensivecare facilities, but take head injury patients for rehabilitation as soon as they are medically stable. The Head Injury Unit is run on a multidisciplinary team basis with input from physiotherapists, occupational therapists, social workers, a speech therapist, a clinical psychologist and an educational therapist, as well as medical and nursing staff. All patients have their own treatment programmes designed to treat their particular problems, both physical and cognitive. SUE RENSHAW MCSP CHRIS TORRANCE MCSP ANNE WARD MCSP Senior Physiotherapists Devonshire Royal Hospital Buxton, Derbyshire
Moving Thanks MADAM - May I through your journal express my thanks for the numerous messages of goodwill I have received from clinical physiotherapists, teachers, and present and past students, on my move from Cambridge to become principal of the Cardiff School of Physiotherapy. NIGEL PALASTANGA BA MCSP DipTP
P h ~ r t m r a p y September , 1988, vol74, no 9
ANNE BOYD MCSP Winchester
Woodhouse Woes MADAM - It was with regret that we read of the recent death of the indomitable character Barbara Woodhouse. She had a natural gift with animals and was obviously an extremely well-motivated person. It was also with regret that the Telegraph obituary of July 11 stated: 'Before her recent second stroke she had been due to appear in a television documentary "Where There's Life" in which she defended the right of stroke patients to refuse, as she had done, the painful process of rehabilitationthrough physiotherapy.' Why should it have been painful? Had she had any treatment? What was that treatment? Was it a balanced viewpoint in that programme? A multitude of questions are as yet unanswered. We thought this another prod to the detriment of our profession. It did not say 'rehabilitation treatment or therapy' it said 'physiotherapy'. Surely our objective and that of our colleagues has always been to improve the quality of life for stroke patients, and to produce pain is counterproductive.
SUE BEALE MCSP Fakenham EDWINA MOORE MCSP Wells-next-the-Sea Norfolk
Retirement Thanks MADAM - I would like to thank all those past and present members of staff, students, friends and colleagues who contributed to my retirement presents and who attended my party on July 13. It was a very happy occasion and one that I shall always remember. I do hope that I shall continue to see many of them in the future. I would also like to thank all old students of The London Hospital School of Physiotherapy for their good wishes on my retirement. I would like to thank them specially for the gift presented to me on their behalf at the annual general meeting on May 14. My very best wishes to them all. KATHLEEN M HlLLlAR MCSP DipTP Retired Deputy Principal The London Hospital School of Physiotherapy Principal Lecturer North East-London Polytechnic
Stuart Skyte, director of public relations to the CSf! replies:
I am sorry that Anne Boyd doesn't like the new poster which is not, in fact, designed to promoterecruitmentinto the profession.Iam not surprised, however, as it is impossibleto please all the people all of the time. On this occasion, at least, weseem to have satisfied hundredsofmembers, rememberingof course that the poster is aimed at the public and not at physiotherapists. If Anne Boyd really believes that Eddie Edwards stands for "everything we teach against", that is a great pity as he generously gave his time and servicesfree becauseofhis respect for physiotherapists.Surely physiotherapists want to be seen as generous, friendlyand pleasant, the qualitiesthat Eddie Edwards has in abundance.
Discriminating Pressures MADAM - I have noted the comments made by Mr Philip Wright (August, page 380) with reference to the Fisher tetrapod. In a perfect world I would heartily endorse what Mr Wright has to say. However, we live in the real world where many elderly patients do not receive sufficient treatment or adkice. In fact some stroke patients who have been nursed at home have never seen a physiotherapist at all until a further problem (acute chest, fall, etc) brings them into hospital. Many have acquired the bad habit of leaning heavily on the walking aid causing sore hands and corns. I certainly do not encourage this, but as many of these patients have declining mental ability, it is impossible to change their style to any great extent. The Fisher tetrapod helps to improve the safety and comfort of this type of patient. BETTY HOLLINRAKE MCSP London E9
Joint Assessments
MADAM - As a paediatric physiotherapist and an occupational physiotherapistwe are evolving joint assessments and assessment forms. If any of your readers are carrying out such assessments we would be very grateful for examples of the forms they use. MARION GIBSON MCSP CLAIRE SHARP DipCOT Watergate School Watergate Road Newport Isle of Wight PO30 1XW
443
International Bobath Instructorflutor Association - Adult Hemiplegia (IBITAHI
MADAM - It was appalling enough to see the stupid antics of Eddie Edwards at the Winter Olympics - a man obviously unfit and under-trained for the sport in which he was participating. It is even more appalling to see the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy using this man's supposed 'celebrity' status to promote recruitment for our profession in a poster [detail shown left]. So far as I can see he stands for everything we teach against as practising therapists. What are we trying to do, create a circus or a profession that can be looked upon to provide intelligent and informed care?
MADAM - We would like to bring to the attention of readers the International Bobath InstructorlTutor Association - Adult Hemiplegia (IBITAH). This organisation, founded in 1984, now has 70 members world-wide and aims to: 1. Improve the treatment of adult hemiplegia and allied neurological conditions world-wide. 2. Promote and further the knowledgeof the Bobath concept relatedto adult hemiplegia. 3. Increase the availability of IBITAH recognised courses being held world-wide. 4. To maintain and improve the standards of IBITAH recognised courses. 5. To improve and standardise the training of instructors world-wide. 6. To organise regular meetings and eduational programmes to facilitate the exchange of ideas. Qualified course leaders are eligible for membership of IBITAH. Basic advanced courses and instructor training systems are already available. These courses are advertised under the IBITAH name. For further information please contact me as secretary of IBITAH. MARY LYNCH MCSP 83 Priory Road London NW6 3NL
Head Injury Care MADAM - We are writing with reference to the news item 'Specialist head injury units call' (July, page 325). We would like to draw therapists' attention to the North West Regional Head Injury Unit which is based at the Devonshire Royal Hospital, Buxton. The unit was opened in 1981 and, at present, it is a specialised 12-bed unit devoted to the rehabilitation of the severely head injured. We have no acuteheurosurgicallintensivecare facilities, but take head injury patients for rehabilitation as soon as they are medically stable. The Head Injury Unit is run on a multidisciplinary team basis with input from physiotherapists, occupational therapists, social workers, a speech therapist, a clinical psychologist and an educational therapist, as well as medical and nursing staff. All patients have their own treatment programmes designed to treat their particular problems, both physical and cognitive. SUE RENSHAW MCSP CHRIS TORRANCE MCSP ANNE WARD MCSP Senior Physiotherapists Devonshire Royal Hospital Buxton, Derbyshire
Moving Thanks MADAM - May I through your journal express my thanks for the numerous messages of goodwill I have received from clinical physiotherapists, teachers, and present and past students, on my move from Cambridge to become principal of the Cardiff School of Physiotherapy. NIGEL PALASTANGA BA MCSP DipTP
P h ~ r t m r a p y September , 1988, vol74, no 9
ANNE BOYD MCSP Winchester
Woodhouse Woes MADAM - It was with regret that we read of the recent death of the indomitable character Barbara Woodhouse. She had a natural gift with animals and was obviously an extremely well-motivated person. It was also with regret that the Telegraph obituary of July 11 stated: 'Before her recent second stroke she had been due to appear in a television documentary "Where There's Life" in which she defended the right of stroke patients to refuse, as she had done, the painful process of rehabilitationthrough physiotherapy.' Why should it have been painful? Had she had any treatment? What was that treatment? Was it a balanced viewpoint in that programme? A multitude of questions are as yet unanswered. We thought this another prod to the detriment of our profession. It did not say 'rehabilitation treatment or therapy' it said 'physiotherapy'. Surely our objective and that of our colleagues has always been to improve the quality of life for stroke patients, and to produce pain is counterproductive.
SUE BEALE MCSP Fakenham EDWINA MOORE MCSP Wells-next-the-Sea Norfolk
Retirement Thanks MADAM - I would like to thank all those past and present members of staff, students, friends and colleagues who contributed to my retirement presents and who attended my party on July 13. It was a very happy occasion and one that I shall always remember. I do hope that I shall continue to see many of them in the future. I would also like to thank all old students of The London Hospital School of Physiotherapy for their good wishes on my retirement. I would like to thank them specially for the gift presented to me on their behalf at the annual general meeting on May 14. My very best wishes to them all. KATHLEEN M HlLLlAR MCSP DipTP Retired Deputy Principal The London Hospital School of Physiotherapy Principal Lecturer North East-London Polytechnic
Stuart Skyte, director of public relations to the CSf! replies:
I am sorry that Anne Boyd doesn't like the new poster which is not, in fact, designed to promoterecruitmentinto the profession.Iam not surprised, however, as it is impossibleto please all the people all of the time. On this occasion, at least, weseem to have satisfied hundredsofmembers, rememberingof course that the poster is aimed at the public and not at physiotherapists. If Anne Boyd really believes that Eddie Edwards stands for "everything we teach against", that is a great pity as he generously gave his time and servicesfree becauseofhis respect for physiotherapists.Surely physiotherapists want to be seen as generous, friendlyand pleasant, the qualitiesthat Eddie Edwards has in abundance.
Discriminating Pressures MADAM - I have noted the comments made by Mr Philip Wright (August, page 380) with reference to the Fisher tetrapod. In a perfect world I would heartily endorse what Mr Wright has to say. However, we live in the real world where many elderly patients do not receive sufficient treatment or adkice. In fact some stroke patients who have been nursed at home have never seen a physiotherapist at all until a further problem (acute chest, fall, etc) brings them into hospital. Many have acquired the bad habit of leaning heavily on the walking aid causing sore hands and corns. I certainly do not encourage this, but as many of these patients have declining mental ability, it is impossible to change their style to any great extent. The Fisher tetrapod helps to improve the safety and comfort of this type of patient. BETTY HOLLINRAKE MCSP London E9
Joint Assessments
MADAM - As a paediatric physiotherapist and an occupational physiotherapistwe are evolving joint assessments and assessment forms. If any of your readers are carrying out such assessments we would be very grateful for examples of the forms they use. MARION GIBSON MCSP CLAIRE SHARP DipCOT Watergate School Watergate Road Newport Isle of Wight PO30 1XW
443