Wendy Cameron- How your support is making a difference

I’m Wendy Cameron, a Team Lead Physiotherapist at NHS Lothian. I’ve worked for the NHS for 32 years and have seen it change in so many positive ways. This year, on the 5th of July, our incredible NHS celebrates its 75th year of providing medical care. From the moment we are born, everything in between, to end-of-life care, everyone has had an NHS experience. NHS Lothian Charity and its supporters have been here by NHS Lothian’s side to improve and enhance its work.

In my experience, many of the patients I’ve worked with at the Royal Infirmary, and now at the East Lothian Community Hospital, have benefited from the generosity of fundraisers and donors. Donations from supporters have enabled me to purchase a MOTOmed bike to improve the care my team of physiotherapists deliver to their patients.

The MOTOmed bike can help build endurance, strength, and boost circulation. It supports patients recovering from a fall, a stroke, or conditions, such as MS. One of the effects from COVID is many people have lost confidence in getting out and about and exercising. This leads to the deconditioning of muscles from inactivity, making some patients more prone to accidents and requiring physiotherapy.

One of my patients, Moira Carson experienced a sensory and motor stroke. The stroke affected movement and sensation in her left arm and leg. As a result, her left arm and leg feel numb to temperature or pressure, and she has poor movement in these areas. Repetitive movements like pedalling on the MOTOmed bike encourage the brain to retrain movement in stroke patients. The MOTOmed bike provides another modality for rehabilitation. The MOTOmed bike can move the leg in cycling motions in a repetitive way to strengthen and exercise the lower limbs.

The MOTOmed bike compliments the existing methods of rehabilitation using gym equipment and manual Physiotherapy. The Physiotherapy team have observed that patients really enjoy using the MOTOmed bike with an improvement in their mood and physical strength.

Please consider getting involved with some fundraising this year to celebrate the 75th birthday of the NHS. It’s a wonderful way to say #ThankYouNHS and support all its work. Your fundraising could help me, and my NHS Lothian colleagues improve, change, and save lives with specialist equipment like the MOTOmed bike.