The document describes the Kingston Community Neuro Gym, a pilot program established in 2014 to provide exercise classes and physical rehabilitation for people with neurological conditions. The neuro gym has grown significantly, now offering 8 sessions per week with over 7,000 attendances. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with patients reporting increased confidence, endurance, and accelerated recovery. The neuro gym has proven to be a sustainable and empowering community program that plays an invaluable role in patients' rehabilitation.

1. Kingston Community Neuro Gym
Darren Beales
Community Neuro Rehab Team Lead
13th
November 2017

2. Introduction – Neuro Gym
• Your Healthcare & CNRT
• Concept
• Pilot
• Funding/Intervention
• Feedback/Reflection
• Summary

3. Introduction
• Your Healthcare CIC
(Community Interest Company)
• Established 1st
August 2010
• Social Enterprise – Not for profit
• Provide more than 40 Health and Social Care
Services
• Staff and Patient Integrated Approach
• Flat structure
• www.yourhealthcare.org

4. Kingston CNRT
• Kingston CNRT provides an Integrated therapy approach for
people with neurological conditions in Kingston (MDT)
• Early Supported Stroke Discharge Service – 2012
• CNRT – 2013 (Non-stroke)
• Neuro inpatient beds (Tolworth Hospital)
• Time limited service (excluding progressive conditions)
• ‘…deliver a range of high quality services that allows our
community residents to lead the best quality of life’
(YHC Vision 2017)

5. Concept
• 5 Freedoms
• Conversation (Nov 2013)
• Evidence (NICE 2014, NICE 2016, Marck et al. 2014)
• Barriers (Asano et al. 2013, Rimmer et al. 2008, Mulligan et
al. 2012 )
• Self Management Support

6. Planning stage
• 8 week exercise class
• Focus Groups
• Scoping Project
• Key stakeholders

7. Pilot
• Tolworth Hospital
(within CNRT 2, sessions a week
October 2014, limited equipment)
• Review
(Positive Feedback, Attendance)
• Business Case
(YHC)- agreed March 2015
• Reinvest agreement
• Funding (May - Sep 2015)
(YHC, LOF, National Lottery)

8. Intervention
• Equipment
(2 x upright bikes, 1 x recumbent bike,
rower, powered standing frame, weights
machine/ free weights (June 2015)
• Donation (Motomed/ weights)
• 3 sessions per week
• One hour slots
(Drop in Bookings)
• Staffing (Bank)

9. • Inclusion/ exclusion criteria
• Consent form
• Induction
• Carer/ P.A/Friends
• Personalised programme
• Programme reviewed
• Challenges
Intervention

10. Where are we now ?
• 8 sessions a week
• 7000 attendances
• £21,365 income - Reinvest
• Sustainable
• Positive Feedback
• Empower

11. Quotes of Neuro Gym users
‘important part of husband’s rehab
physically and mentally’
‘positive and understanding
environment’
‘turned my life around’
‘huge gain in confidence’
‘excellent opportunity to exercise in
an unhurried and unpressurised way’
‘increased endurance’
‘life changing’
‘people are encouraging and
supportive’
‘played an invaluable role in
accelerating my recovery’
‘enabling me to enhance my
recovery from stroke’

12. New Malden Rotary Club raises
£1.5k for Neuro team
Freedom
to tell
stories

13. Reflection
• Take pictures
• Success
• Dependence
• Exit strategy-neuro gym
• Higher level-community
• Reduced self referrals
• Impact on outpatients
• Outcomes/data

14. Summary
• New concept
• Risk and reward
• Community Project
• Established
• Opportunity
• Support

15. References
Asano, M. et al (2013) ‘Exercise barriers and preferences among women and men with
multiple sclerosis’, Disability and Rehabilitation, 35(5), pp. 353-361
Marck, C. et al. (2014) ‘Physical activity and associated levels of disability and quality of
life in people with multiple sclerosis: a large international study’, BMC Neurology, 14(1),
143. Epub 2014 Jul 12. PMID: 25016312.
Mulligan, H. et al. (2012) ‘Barriers to physical activity for people with long-term
neurological conditions: a review study’, Adapting Physical Activity Quarterly, 29(3), pp.
243-265
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2014) CG186: Multiple Sclerosis in
Adults: management. Available at https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg186
(Accessed: 11 October 2017)
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2016) CG108: Multiple Sclerosis.
Available at https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg108 (Accessed: 11 October 2017)
Rimmer, J., Wang, E. and Smith, S. (2008) ‘Barriers associated with exercise and
community access for individuals with stroke’, Journal of Rehabilitation Research and
Development 45(2), pp. 315-322

16. Thank You
darren.beales@yourhealthcare.org