Occupational Therapy (OT) – Patient information leaflet

We hope that this leaflet will provide you with information about Occupational Therapy. If you are not sure about anything in this leaflet please ask a member of staff.

Occupational Therapists work within multi professional teams including nurses, psychiatrists and psychologists to support you in your recovery.

When you experience illness or disability your daily activities can become more difficult to manage or stop all together.

The focus of Occupational Therapy is to help towards your recovery through establishing or resuming a healthy pattern of meaningful activities.

To understand your needs, Occupational Therapy staff will get to know you to find out about:

• The place where you live and the places you go to as well as who you spend your time with and the resources you have to support you.
• Your motivation to do the things that are most important to you, your confidence in your own abilities and your hopes for the future.
• The day-to-day roles and responsibilities that you have and your relationships with the people around you.
• What you do on a daily or weekly basis how your time is organised and whether you have a balance between self-care, work and leisure.
• The abilities and skills that you have and need every day to concentrate on your tasks, physically manage what you need to do and get along with others.

If you have been affected by changes in your health or personal circumstances, you may be experiencing difficulties in the following areas:

Looking after yourself

•  Taking care of your general wellbeing and safety – your physical and mental health
• Managing your basic personal needs, such as eating, washing and dressing
• Coping with domestic tasks, such as shopping and cooking

Doing things you enjoy

• Developing your interests, relaxing and having fun
• Enjoying activities that meet your physical, social, emotional, cultural and spiritual needs
• Being with others and maintaining a social network

Being productive

• Caring for your home and for others – your family, your friends and your pets
• Meeting your responsibilities as a student, a volunteer or a worker
• Being part of your local community

Occupational Therapy focuses on both resuming and developing the skills you need to support recovery.

What you do changes how you feel and has the power to change your life. Feeling able to manage the things that are important to you, and being as independent as possible can have a positive effect on your health.

Occupational Therapy staff can help you identify needs relating to these areas, and work with you to set your own goals and consider how you could meet them.

When you are referred to Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust you will have an assessment to enable us to better understand your needs and determine how best to support you.

If the person carrying out the assessment feels that occupational therapy would be helpful for you, they will refer you to one of our teams.

If you are not receiving occupational therapy but feel it would be beneficial for you then please speak to the person who coordinates your care.

If you would like an interpreter, staff will be able to help you get one.

If you want to make a comment, suggestion, compliment or complaint you can:

• talk to the people directly involved in your care
• ask a member of staff for a feedback form, or complete a form on the Trust website
• telephone the Complaints Department on 0191 245 6672
• email [email protected]. Please note that information sent to the Trust via email is sent at your own risk

We are always looking at ways to improve services. Your feedback allows us to monitor the quality of our services and act upon issues that you bring to our attention. You can provide feedback in the following ways:

• the quickest way for you to do this is to complete our short online survey at www.cntw.nhs.uk/yourvoice
• complete a Your Voice survey, available on wards, reception areas or from staff
• other options for sharing your feedback and experience www.cntw.nhs.uk/yourfeedback

Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
PALS provide confidential advice and support, helping you to sort out any concerns that you may have about any aspect of your or your loved one’s care.

We act independently when handling patient and family concerns, liaising with staff, managers and, where appropriate, relevant organisations, to negotiate prompt solutions. If necessary, we can also refer patients and families to specific local or national-based support agencies.

North of Tyne
Telephone: 0800 032 0202
Email: [email protected]
Post: FREEPOST PALS

South of Tyne
Telephone: 0800 328 4397
Text: 07825 061 035
Email: [email protected]
Post: Patient Advice and Liaison Service, Garden Lodge, Hopewood Park, Ryhope, Sunderland, SR2 0NB

9am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday

An answerphone is always available for you to leave a message. A member of the PALS team will aim to return your call as soon as possible.

• Royal College of Occupational Therapists
  www.rcot.co.uk
• Health and Care Professionals Council
  www.hcpc-uk.org
• Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust
  www.cntw.nhs.uk

Further information about the content, reference sources or production of this leaflet can be obtained from the Patient Information Centre. If you would like to tell us what you think about this leaflet please get in touch.

This information can be made available in a range of formats on request (Braille, audio, larger print, easy read, BSL or other languages). Please contact the Patient Information Centre on 0191 246 7288.

Published by the Patient Information Centre
2025 Copyright: Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust
Ref: PIC/776/0425 April 2025 V4

Website: www.cntw.nhs.uk
Telephone: 0191 246 7288

Review date 2028