Launching later this year, Olympia, which is managed by Active Dundee, will have specially trained fitness instructors and join facilities in South Lanarkshire and Edinburgh in providing Technologically Enriched Rehabilitation Gyms (TERGs), which aim to increase access to evidence-based levels of rehabilitation after stroke, providing vital support to patients following hospital discharge.
Olympia will host eight-week programmes for groups of up to 10 people, offering two-hour rehabilitation sessions across each week.
They are being rolled out following the success of the Sir Jules Thorn Co-Creation Centre for Rehabilitation Technology at the University of Strathclyde, which has already helped hundreds of stroke survivors with a cutting-edge, technology-driven approach.
The Strathclyde centre empowers users to take a self-managed approach to rehabilitation, a method shown to deliver better recovery outcomes. Participants have demonstrated improvements across various measures of function and quality of life, beyond physical mobility.
Dr Andrew Kerr from the University of Strathclyde, who leads the project, said
“Stroke survivors need intensive rehabilitation throughout their lives. Our goal is to see this technological approach adopted widely across NHS and public health settings, both in the UK and beyond.
“We’ve proven that this model is effective, engaging, and feasible without requiring constant one-to-one supervision. It has the potential to revolutionise rehabilitation services.
“The new facilities mark a significant step forward in ensuring that stroke survivors receive the ongoing support they need, creating a clear pathway from acute hospital care to community-based rehabilitation and beyond.”
The project at Olympia is made possible thanks to securing funding of over £210,000 from Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland to staff the programme. Additional funding from the University of Strathclyde to purchase specialist equipment, the Sir Jules Thorn Charitable Trust, and staffing resources from Active Dundee has allowed this programme to launch.
Scott Urquhart, Head of Leisure, Sport and Physical Activity Services at Active Dundee, said
“We would like to thank all the partners involved in this project and look forward to making a real difference in the lives of stroke survivors. As well as being an important leisure destination, the ongoing community health and wellbeing work at Olympia is something we are very proud of and we can’t wait to get started.”
Jane-Claire Judson, Chief Executive of Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, said
“This partnership with the University of Strathclyde is central to Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland’s strategic ambition to ensure everyone affected by stroke can access the right rehabilitation at the right time.
“By investing in Technology Enriched Rehabilitation Gyms, we are delivering on our commitment to innovative, community-focused solutions that empower stroke survivors to lead full, independent lives.”
”Stroke is the leading cause of severe disability in the UK and can result in a wide range of physical and cognitive challenges. Rehabilitation is crucial for restoring independence and improving the quality of life for survivors.”
Guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommend at least three hours of daily rehabilitation, five days a week, Research from Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland in 2023 revealed that despite stroke being one of Scotland’s leading causes of adult disability, only half of stroke survivors (53%) say they accessed NHS Rehab. One in five (19%) stroke survivors say they weren’t referred for rehabilitation at all.
The new programme aims to address this gap with state-of-the-art equipment, including treadmills with specialised harnesses, balance trainers, cognitive and virtual reality tools, and power-assisted machines. These devices allow users to engage in passive or active exercises, tailored to their recovery stage whilst being supported by highly trained fitness instructors.
Image: Stuart Brown - Deputy Head of Prevention Services, Chest Heart Stroke Scotland (CHSS), Chris Baily - Health & Fitness Manager, Active Dundee, Jayne Brown, Business Relationship Manager, CHSS and Fraser Calderwood, Olympia Manager on a site visit to Olympia