Outdoor gym activities at our mental health Trust
This year’s theme for Mental Health Awareness Week is nature and the powerful benefits of engaging with nature for our mental health.
Jamal John [pictured right], tobacco dependence advisor at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, describes to us how his role changed at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic to physical activity lead and how to the role supported patients’ wellbeing.
How did the pandemic lead to a change in your role?
I am currently employed by South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, as a tobacco dependence advisor, based in Lewisham at the Ladywell Unit. I have been working for South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust since November 2019. However, during this time there was a shift in my responsibilities, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. My adjusted role has since been working as a physical activity lead based at the Ladywell Unit.
The role as a physical activity lead was presented to me due to the unfortunate circumstances of COVID-19. It has been well documented that this global pandemic has undoubtedly affected us all during this past year.
What did your role of physical activity lead involve?
My story involves me supporting patients admitted to hospital with their mental and physical health, the challenges they faced and my experiences supporting them. I believe COVID-19 was a very difficult time for patients both mentally and physically. For example, during the first wave of the COVID-19 in March 2020, patients were no longer able to go out on leave and were not allowed visits from family, partners, loved ones or friends. Due to lockdown at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, I had to implement these rules in order to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. However, in doing so, there were concerns regarding the decline in the patient’s mental and physical wellbeing.
The new role I had taken up as physical lead consisted of working closely with occupational therapists and activity coordinators to focus on supporting patients with their mental and physical wellbeing. I encouraged patients to spend time in the garden to either participate in physical activity within small groups or individually. The activities and facilities available to them include outdoor gym equipment, football, basketball, frisbee sessions and gentle exercises such as, stretching and walking. Patients who just needed a break from the ward could go outside for fresh air and a friendly chat.
Throughout my time working in this role, using the power of physical activity and sport with patients has been inspiring. I truly believe that the programme has made a positive impact on patients’ wellbeing and will continue to make positive strides forward by improving people’s health and wellbeing long term. I hope my enthusiasm and passion for physical activity and sport came through during the sessions.
How did you measure the impact this activity had on patients?
To measure whether these outdoor activities were making a positive impact or difference to patients’ wellbeing during this time, I shared a patient and staff survey. This included, a QI project consisting of a questionnaire and feedback form which focused on how they found using the newly installed outdoor gym equipment to participate in physical activity and to find out whether it had made a positive impact. When patients were asked to self-report what subjective effect using the outdoor gym has had on their overall mental wellbieng, 10 out of 11 (90.9%) said they believed the gym has had an overall positive effect.
The role has definitely had a positive impact on patient engagement in physical activity. I believe this was largely down to the instalment of outdoor gym equipment, available all patients regardless of their current level of fitness or strength.
Although my role as a physical activity lead has come to an end, I believe it laid some of the foundations for a new role to be created in South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust for Lewisham.
Since then, there has been recruitment of a full-time member of staff to perform the role of physical and wellbeing lead. To my understanding, part of the role consists of supporting and encouraging patients to participate in physical activity or gentle exercise in order to improve their health and wellbeing. The patients have access to the outdoor gym facilities and the use of the newly developed wellbeing studio supervised by the new physical and wellbeing lead. I believe that not only will the role of a physical and wellbeing lead help to benefit the patients’ health and wellbeing in the long-term. It will also help with staff’s wellbeing due to them also having access to the outdoor gym equipment and facilities available to them.
Acknowledgements and further information:
I would like to thank the following people for giving me the opportunity to perform within this role.
Leonie Down: Lewisham Head of Occupational Therapy and Safeguarding Adults Lead
Leonie was my allocated line manager who was always very helpful by supported me throughout my time performing within this role.
Anna Callahan: Patient Information Officer and Peer Support.
Anna and I shared the role of a Physical Activity Lead, she was a huge help and I enjoyed working closely with Anna during this time.
Mary Yates: Nurse Consultant – Health Promotion and Wellbeing & Smoke-Free Lead.
Mary Yates is my manager within my Tobacco Dependence Advisor role. Mary has done a fantastic job of setting up the outdoor gym equipment project and providing the money to make it all happen. Because of the hard work and dedication Mary has put into this project we now have a number of outdoor gym facilities across a number of South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust hospital sites.