Chairman visits patients and "brilliant" staff at Bowley Close

Sir Hugh Taylor, Guy’s and St Thomas’ Chairman, received a whistle-stop tour of the Bowley Close Rehabilitation Centre on Thursday 31 August. Patients and carers praised staff at the centre for the vital support they provide to improve the quality of their lives.

Bowley Close, which supports 25,000 physically disabled children and adults living in south east London and beyond, provides a range of rehabilitation services including prosthetic limbs for people who have had amputations or who were born without limbs.

Staff including occupational therapists and physiotherapists, orthotists, prosthetists, psychological counsellors, rehabilitation engineers, technicians and administrators work in teams to provide expertise in prosthetics (artificial limbs), wheelchair (manual and powered wheelchairs) and special seating, orthotics (custom-made external supports such as splints) and assisted communication services including  devices for people who are unable to speak due to conditions such as cerebral palsy or motor neurone disease.

Sir Hugh, who made the visit at the request of a current patient, met with several patients including Jake Sharp, 22, who has cerebral palsy and is supported by the wheelchair service at Bowley Close. His dad, Brian, describes the staff at the centre as “brilliant”.

He says: “We’ve been coming here since Jake was four or five. They always try hard to meet the patient’s needs. I know there is a time schedule for every visit but you’d never know it. They always have time to make those instant changes and find new ways to help as the child grows.”

Nicola Doswell, whose seven-year-old son James has cerebral palsy has been supplied with a powered wheelchair that enables him to move forwards, backwards, left and right by pressing colour coded buttons. Nicola praised the staff at Bowley Close saying they are “always so helpful.”

Speaking about his visit to Bowley Close, Sir Hugh says: “It has been fantastic to meet with so many of our patients and to hear and see for myself the incredible difference our staff are making to improve the quality of life of so many people.”