Hydrotherapy pool’s celebration of success

Tuesday 10 July 2018

The Hydrotherapy pool at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital is celebrating two years of success since it reopened to the public.

The purpose-built hydrotherapy facilities in the Princess Elizabeth Hospital reopened to the public, at no expense to the tax payer thanks to the donations from Healthspan and the Little Extras Trust in a three-year deal covering the recommission and running costs.

Throughout 2017 the pool was well used for rehabilitation and the warmth and buoyancy of the 35°C water has helped many reduce muscle spasm, increase circulation and reduce pain. The team say that this in turn means potentially helping patients decrease their hospital stay.

Janine Santer, physiotherapist, said: "We know that by helping people to exercise and improve their mobility quickly after, for example, surgery, decreases their length of stay in hospital which ultimately leads to better outcomes for the individual.

"I was delighted when I was informed that the pool was to receive funding via charitable donations to support the running costs."

One of the patients who has really benefitted from the pool is Alan Herpe who had a motor bike accident and could not do any weight bearing exercise. He said: "It was not healing and my muscles were wasting. Getting in the pool got me mobile again, the pool took all the weight and I could move on quicker. It meant I could keep everything going. I was on two crutches when I came here and when I left I was on one."

Pictured: Alan Herpe who has benefitted from the pool

The project all came about after Roger Allsopp approached Derek Coates and the Little Extras Trust to help fund the pool. He understood the benefits of aquatic based exercise following his own accident and rehabilitation. Mr Allsopp said: "I remember reading that the pool had closed down as they had been told to save money as it does not cost lives. And of course nobody has died by closing this down but it has impacted people. I remember when I was injured going past this area and feeling sad that the pool was not operational, luckily I am quite happy cold water swimming so as soon as I was able to I jumped in the bathing pools."

Derek Coates, Chairman of Healthspan, Roger Allsopp, non-states member for HSC, and Jo Grimshaw representing the Little Extras Trust, all visited the hydrotherapy pool to celebrate the success.

Mr Coates said: "It’s fantastic to see that the hydrotherapy pool is well used, benefitting the island community with such excellent facilities and helping those who will use the pool to aid recovery or rehabilitation. Healthspan are incredibly happy and grateful for the opportunity to support the use of the pool."

Jo Grimshaw, representing Little Extras said that the Trustees were very happy to be asked to support this project."We like to support initiatives that help the maximum number of our beneficiaries and assisting the re-opening of the hydrotherapy pool certainly achieves that."

The team said that people should not underestimate the benefits of swimming in achieving pain relief combined with joint mobility and strength. The experience to date has been very positive and the aim is to develop and utilise its presence more and more across the range of services.

Pictured: Members of the Hydrotherapy team and supporters of the project