Canterbury Christ Church University lecturer, Rayya Ghul, received a prestigious national teaching award at a special ceremony at Middle Temple Hall, London, on Friday (3rd October).

Rayya Ghul, 52, a Senior Lecturer of Occupational Therapy working in Canterbury Christ Church University’s Department of Allied Health Professions, was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship from the Higher Education Academy.

National Teaching Fellowships recognise individuals who make an outstanding impact on the student learning experience. Universities across England and Northern Ireland were asked to nominate members of their staff who could demonstrate excellence.

Rayya was one of fifty academics who achieved a National Teaching Fellowship from the Higher Education Academy at the black tie dinner. She was presented with ВЈ10,000, which may be used for her personal and/or professional development in teaching and learning.

Speaking after the award ceremony, Rayya said: “It was wonderful to meet all 50 of the 2008 National Teaching Fellows for the very first time. As we mingled and exchanged stories, the feeling of excitement mounted. It was interesting to discover that we came from very different backgrounds in terms of subjects and experience. I was thrilled to find myself in the same cohort as Sir David Watson from the Institute of Education, a man whose books I had read when taking my Master’s degree in Educational Studies. However, there were also many ‘ordinary’ lecturers like me and, in my view, the Higher Education Academy encouraged as well as rewarded excellence in teaching and learning.”

Rayya continued: “As each National Teaching Fellow went up to receive their award I felt enormously proud to be part of the gathering. As I looked around the beautiful Elizabethan banqueting hall, I felt a sense of personal satisfaction. I was being rewarded for all my hard work and had earned the right to be there. When it was my turn to take the stage I didn’t feel nervous, just incredibly happy. I know there are many other staff at Canterbury Christ Church University who deserve to be recognised for their contribution to teaching and learning and I hope that next year we will be able to add another National Teaching Fellow to the honoured list.”

Professor Shirley Pearce, Vice Chancellor of Loughborough University and Chair of the Advisory Panel for the National Teaching Fellowship Awards, said: “These Fellows represent a diversity of disciplines and specialisms from a range of higher education institutions. Their achievements in promoting excellence in teaching and learning are hugely impressive and of great benefit to students and staff across the higher education sector.”

Notes

If you are a member of the media and would like an interview with or photograph of Rayya Ghul, please contact Canterbury Christ Church University’s Media Relations Officer, Claire Draper, on 01227 782391.

Rayya Ghul’s profile

Rayya Ghul is a Senior Lecturer of Occupational Therapy (OT) at Canterbury Christ Church University who works within the Department of Allied Health Professions.

Rayya believes in the power of higher education to transform lives and her passion for improving the student learning process is irrepressible.

According to Rayya, OT is a profession that focuses on enabling people to lead fulfilling and satisfying lives based on the activities they want and need to do. Since she first joined the Department in 2001, Rayya’s principle aim has been for her students to understand OT’s unique professional focus. In 2003, the OT programme was re-validated and Rayya was active in encouraging the academics to put ‘occupation’ at the heart of all of the teaching modules.

Rayya designed a first year course called ‘Participation in Occupations’ which focused on the core philosophy of the importance of participation in everyday life. She also contributed substantially to two second year OT modules, ‘Skills for Occupational Therapy Practice’ and ‘Strategies for Enabling Change’.

Rayya is interested in promoting and developing active learning strategies in higher education and believes that learning should be a transformative experience for both students and staff alike. In terms of enhancing and promoting the student learning process, Rayya feels her particular strength lies in helping students to engage confidently with complex concepts.

With her colleague Ian Marsh, she developed a pioneering critical thinking tool called ‘Contexts of Participation’ which has received international acclaim for its groundbreaking contribution to the development of the theory base of Occupational Science.

Rayya believes that teaching should be a collaborative process and regularly invites service users and carers to speak at mini conferences to ensure students learn from their perspectives.

“From a learning perspective this is a wonderful way to be taught, very thought provoking and a lesson in humanity.” (OT student 2007).

Rayya is a staff mentor who inspires her colleagues as well as her students.

“In my two years as a lecturer, Rayya has been an inspiration.” (OT colleague).

Rayya won a Teaching Excellence Award from the University in 2006 and is an expert on solution focused brief therapy. In 2007, her book ‘Creating Positive Futures: Solution Focused Recovery from Mental Distress’ is now core text of two modules on the University’s OT programme and recommended text to OT programmes across the UK.

The Higher Education Academy

The Higher Education Academy works with universities and colleges, discipline groups, individual staff and organisations to help them deliver the best possible learning experience for students. It has a triple focus on national policy, institutional support, and subject and staff development.

It is an independent organisation funded by grants from the four UK funding bodies, subscriptions from higher education institutions, and grant and contract income for specific initiatives. Its functions include the accreditation of programmes and of individuals as registered practitioners, research and evaluation, and a UK-wide Subject Network providing discipline-based support for learning and teaching.

Canterbury Christ Church University

A critical care specialist at Johns Hopkins who has reviewed recent studies of intensive care unit (ICU) patients and data from The Johns Hopkins Hospital concludes that the routine use of deep sedation and bed rest in ICU patients may be causing unnecessary and long-term physical impairment and poor quality of life after hospital discharge.

“The benefits of getting hospitalized patients out of bed and moving were understood during World War II with battlefield injuries,” says Dale Needham, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine and Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. “My review shows it may be time to go back to the future. It’s becoming clear that the safety and benefits of early mobilization are real and that it’s better to get moving sooner rather than later.”

In a report, published in the Oct. 8 issue of Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Needham says that routinely keeping ICU patients deeply sedated and on bed rest can lead to muscle weakness and that it’s probably best to get patients up and moving shortly after admission to an ICU. The conclusions are based on Needham’s review of recent studies and experience at The Johns Hopkins Hospital medical intensive care unit. A systematic review by Needham and colleagues found that across 24 studies, focused on ICU patients with sepsis, prolonged mechanical ventilation and multiple organ failure, 46 percent of 1,421 patients had neuromuscular dysfunction that was associated with extended use of mechanical ventilation and longer stays in the ICU. Other studies Needham reviewed showed that early physical medicine and rehabilitation therapy, while patients are on life support in the ICU, can safely allow patients to get out of bed and walk more quickly, resulting in shorter time on a ventilator and a shorter stay in the ICU for these critically ill patients.

Needham also based his comments on experience with patients at The Johns Hopkins Hospital medical intensive care unit, where a new physical medicine and rehabilitation program has been developed for ICU patients.

According to Needham, early mobilization of hospitalized patients was introduced in World War II as a means of getting injured soldiers quickly back to the battlefield. This practice was popularized by related editorials at that time, such as one titled “The Evil Sequelae of Complete Bed Rest.” Even during the early years after creation of ICUs, patients were frequently awake and out of bed. Over time, however, technology and other factors led to the more routine use of deep sedation and bed rest in ICUs. Needham, in his review, cited numerous studies highlighting the physical harm of lengthy bed rest, such as loss of muscle strength and changes in heart function.

The cause of muscle weakness after an ICU stay are complicated, he says, but experimental studies do show that even healthy people experience a 4 percent to 5 percent loss of muscle strength for each week of bed rest, and require a prolonged recovery period. “Although there are many causes of muscle weakness, getting ICU patients up and moving does help modify the negative effects of bed rest,” he says.

In the JAMA report, Needham offered one example of the benefits of early mobility in the case of a 56-year-old man with severe lung disease admitted to Johns Hopkins with new kidney failure. The patient, who had a two-month stay in the medical ICU, was almost immediately put on a program of walking laps around the ICU with accompanying ICU and rehabilitation staff, while on a ventilator with a breathing tube in his mouth. Seven months later, after further rehabilitation in a special facility, the patient reported that his muscle strength and physical function continued to improve.

Needham cautions that despite this evidence for early mobilization, additional research is needed to more fully understand the best methods for doing it, and the short-term and long-term benefits.

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Funding support for Needham was provided by the National Institute of Health and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

On the Web:

The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine’s Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
hopkinsmedicine/rehab/

National Institutes of Health
nih/

Canadian Institutes of Health Research
cihr-irsc.gc/e/193.html

Source: John Lazarou

Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions

Arthritis is the nation’s most common cause of disability. The number of adults with doctor-diagnosed arthritis is projected to increase to 67 million by 2030, and a large proportion of U.S. adults will limit their activity as a result, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Now, in a new study, University of Missouri researchers found that adults with arthritis who received exercise interventions that included educational components significantly increased their physical activity levels and experienced improvements in pain and physical functioning.

“Many researchers examine the effectiveness of exercise classes to encourage people with arthritis to start exercising, but these studies don’t examine what the classes are teaching people and if those people continue exercising after the class is over,” said Marian Minor, professor in the MU Department of Physical Therapy in the School of Health Professions. “All exercise programs should include educational components that teach people how to stay active for life. We know from other studies that exercise reduces pain and improves physical functioning and mental health, but if people stop exercising, the benefits will go away.”

The researchers found that patients with arthritis who learned exercise habits through physical activity interventions reported decreases in pain and increases in physical functioning, compared to patients who did not participate in interventions. Educational components helped patients maintain increased physical activity levels. Patients reported additional benefits, including increased muscle strength and better mental health, said Vicki Conn, lead author of the study, professor and associate dean of research in the MU Sinclair School of Nursing.

“Educational components can be incorporated into exercise programs in any setting that are currently suggested by physicians, nurses and other care providers,” Conn said. “We found various tactics for educating patients that are effective, including one-on-one discussions with care providers or group interventions, providing self-monitoring advice, providing feedback to subjects regarding their performance, goal-setting, and problem-solving.”

The researchers completed a meta-analysis incorporating data from 4,111 participants in 28 studies; participants included people with osteoarthritis, knee arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Only studies that measured physical activity after the completion of the intervention were included.

“Health care providers have a responsibility to educate patients and help them maintain effective physical activity habits. It is important that people diagnosed with arthritis have someone to look to for education and help with managing their symptoms. This is a public health priority, and health providers need to teach people to take control of their own health and improve their lives,” Minor said.

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The study, “Physical Activity Interventions Among Adults with Arthritis: Meta-Analysis of Outcomes,” was published in Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism. It was funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health.

Source: Emily Smith
University of Missouri-Columbia

A number of prominent people in the disability industry were present at the launch of NuDrive – the world’s first lever-drive propulsion accessory for manual wheelchairs. NuDrive reduces the force needed to self-propel by up to 40% and was launched on 7th October by Peter Gage, Chairman of the NHS National Wheelchair Managers’ Forum, at the Aspire National Training Centre.

The revolutionary NuDrive system was conceived by Robert Orford when he was just 19. Now, after six years of research and development, NuDrive is available in the UK. This breakthrough technology for improving wheelchair propulsion is set to increase independence for millions of wheelchair users around the world, enabling them to propel themselves further with greater ease, and with less strain on the body.

Professor Michael Craggs, Director of the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital has been involved in the development of NuDrive and spoke about the medical, social and mechanical benefits of lever-drive propulsion. Disabled writer and BBC presenter Lara Masters, spoke about the challenges disabled people face and the need to be resourceful: “I try to see my physical restrictions as creative challenges and NuDrive symbolises my philosophy by presenting an opportunity for wheelchair users to maximise the potential of their “pushing power”, said Lara. Peter Gage spoke about the issues facing wheelchair provision in the UK before officially launching NuDrive, saying “This is a brilliant product.”

With NuDrive, the user can propel themselves forwards and backwards, manoeuvre and brake, simply by pushing the levers – there’s no need to spin the wheel rims by hand. This improves posture and shifts the shoulder loading, helping to prevent shoulder degradation and injury.

The ergonomically designed Drive Units allow users with arthritic or weak hands to self-propel as it requires no finger of hand dexterity. By removing the need to grip and release the wheel rims, NuDrive also eliminates the threat of Repetitive Strain Injury in hands, protects hands from abrasion, and maintains cleanliness and hygiene. NuDrive attaches in seconds to almost any manual wheelchair with 24inch metal spoked wheels so there’s no need to buy a new chair.

Emily Steward (18) has Spina Bifida and is the star of the NuDrive mini documentary “Emily Shops London” which premiered at the launch. This short film gives valuable insight into what it’s like for a young disabled woman to spend the day shopping with friends in London. Emily has this to say: “It is a lot easier to get up slopes with NuDrive, I can sit up straight, I don’t have to strain and I can get more power behind the stroke. It helps me keep going for longer.”

NuDrive can be used by both long-term and occasional wheelchair users who have some degree of strength in both arms. It is great both indoors and outdoors and can help the user tackle inclines and more difficult or uneven terrains.

The concept is simple, but the technology is cutting edge. NuDrive has been developed for Pure Global by one of the UK’s leading product designers, London Associates, in association with the Aspire Centre for Disability Sciences. Wheelchair users with a range of medical conditions and disabilities were involved throughout the research to ensure a high level of medical efficacy.

Robert Orford founded Pure Global Ltd in 2003 when he was just 20. Robert won the Young Designer of the Year Award in 2002 for his initial prototype and has since raised more than ВЈ1million of investment to develop NuDrive and bring it to market.

Speaking about his journey Robert said: “Emily was the catalyst that inspired me to take the idea from being an A-Level project into a commercial reality. Seeing how my early prototype gave her so much more independence gave me the conviction to take the plunge and devote myself to making the idea a reality.”

“I have learned a lot over the past six years and it’s been hard work, but I’m truly delighted to be able to make this technology available and both me and my team hope it will be a real blessing,” said Robert.

Pure Global donated a number of products to UK disability charities at the launch, including Aspire, the Spinal Injuries Association and the Back Up Trust. The launch concluded with a bang when the acclaimed CandoCo Dance Company of disabled and non-disabled dancers performed excerpts from their new show, fresh home from performing at both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

For more information about NuDrive and to watch the promo and demonstration videos visit nu-drive.

NuDrive RRP ВЈ349 and is 0% VAT rated. NuDrive can be ordered directly from Pure Global or from an accredited dealer.

NuDrive

Blindsight is a phenomenon in which patients with damage in the primary visual cortex of the brain can tell where an object is although they claim they cannot see it. A research team led by Prof. Tadashi Isa and Dr. Masatoshi Yoshida of the National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Japan, provides compelling evidence that blindsight occurs because visual information is conveyed bypassing the primary visual cortex. Japan Science and Technology Agency supported this study. The team reports their finding in the Journal of Neuroscience on Oct 15, 2008.

The researchers recorded eye movements of Japanese monkeys that had damage in one side of the primary visual cortex. Training with an eye movement task for 2-3 months enabled the monkeys to move their eyes to the correct direction where an object was even in the affected side of their visual fields. Brain became able to feel where an object was without ‘seeing’ it. After the training, their eye movements looked almost normal; they discriminated five different directions even in the affected visual field. To investigate how eyes move, the monkeys’ eye movements to targets in their affected visual field were compared with those to dark targets in their normal visual field. Both were ‘equally difficult to see’. By this trick, the researchers found two differences from the normal: 1) the trajectory of their eye movements was straight and 2) the response time of their eye movement was short. These differences were thought to be due to the damage of eye movement control and decision making, not purely on that of vision. Therefore, the researchers concluded that the monkeys’ eye movements after damage in the primary visual cortex were mediated by a qualitatively different vision which is supported by alternative brain circuits bypassing the primary visual cortex.

“Our finding will provide a new strategy for rehabilitation of these patients with damage in the primary visual cortex. That will be a rehabilitation training to activate alternative brain circuits to see what you do not see”, said Dr. Yoshida. “A similar training may help the patients to know where an object is even without ‘seeing’ it.”

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Source: Masatoshi Yoshida

National Institute for Physiological Sciences

Researchers in a study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have demonstrated for the first time that a direct artificial connection from the brain to muscles can restore voluntary movement in monkeys whose arms have been temporarily anesthetized. The results may have promising implications for the quarter of a million Americans affected by spinal cord injuries and thousands of others with paralyzing neurological diseases, although clinical applications are years away.

“This study demonstrates a novel approach to restoring movement through neuroprosthetic devices, one that would link a person’s brain to the activation of individual muscles in a paralyzed limb to produce natural control and movements,” said Joseph Pancrazio, Ph.D., a program director at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).

The research was conducted by Eberhard E. Fetz, Ph.D., professor of physiology and biophysics at the University of Washington in Seattle and an NINDS Javits awardee; Chet T. Moritz, Ph.D., a post-doctoral fellow funded by NINDS; and Steve I. Perlmutter, Ph.D., research associate professor. The results appear in the online Oct. 15 issue of Nature. The study was performed at the Washington National Primate Research Center, which is funded by NIH’s National Center for Research Resources.

In the study, the researchers trained monkeys to control the activity of single nerve cells in the motor cortex, an area of the brain that controls voluntary movements. Neuronal activity was detected using a type of brain-computer interface. In this case, electrodes implanted in the motor cortex were connected via external circuitry to a computer. The neural activity led to movements of a cursor, as monkeys played a target practice game.

After each monkey mastered control of the cursor, the researchers temporarily paralyzed the monkey’s wrist muscles using a local anesthetic to block nerve conduction. Next, the researchers converted the activity in the monkey’s brain to electrical stimulation delivered to the paralyzed wrist muscles. The monkeys continued to play the target practice game – only now cursor movements were driven by actual wrist movements – demonstrating that they had regained the ability to control the otherwise paralyzed wrist.

The group’s approach is one of several lines of current neuroprosthetic research. Some investigators are using brain-computer interfaces to record signals from multiple neurons and convert those signals to control a robotic limb. Other researchers have delivered artificial stimulation directly to paralyzed arm muscles in order to drive arm movement – a technique called functional electrical stimulation (FES). The Fetz study is the first to combine a brain-computer interface with real-time control of FES.

“A robotic arm would be better for someone whose physical arm has been lost or if the muscles have atrophied, but if you have an arm whose muscles can be stimulated, a person can learn to reactivate them with this technology,” says Dr. Fetz.

Until now, brain-computer interfaces were designed to decode the activity of neurons known to be associated with movement of specific body parts. Here, the researchers discovered that any motor cortex cell, regardless of whether it had been previously associated with wrist movement, was capable of stimulating muscle activity. This finding greatly expands the potential number of neurons that could control signals for brain-computer interfaces and also illustrates the flexibility of the motor cortex.

“The cells don’t have to have a preordained role in the movement. We can create a direct link between the cell and the motor output that the user can learn to control and optimize over time,” says Dr. Fetz.

Dr. Fetz and his colleagues found that the monkeys’ control over neuronal activity – and the resulting control over stimulation of their wrist muscles – improved significantly with practice. Practice time was limited by the duration of the nerve block. Comparing the monkeys’ performance during an initial two-minute practice and a two-minute peak performance period, the scientists found the monkeys successfully hit the target three times more frequently and with less error during the peak performance. In the future, greater control could be gained by using implanted circuits to create long-lasting artificial connections, allowing more time for learning and optimizing control, Dr. Fetz says.

The researchers also found that the monkeys could achieve independent control of both the wrist flexor and extensor muscles.

“An important next step will be to increase the number of direct connections between cortical cells and muscles to control coordinated activation of muscles,” says Dr. Fetz.

If researchers are able to establish a connection between the motor cortex and sites in the spinal cord below the injury, people with spinal injuries may be able to achieve coordinated movements.

Clinical applications are still probably at least a decade away, according to Dr. Fetz. Better methods for recording cortical neurons and for controlling multiple muscles must be developed, along with implantable circuitry that could be used reliably and safely, he says.

Notes:

NINDS (ninds.nih) is a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and is the nation’s primary supporter of biomedical research on the brain and nervous system.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) – The Nation’s Medical Research Agency – includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.

Reference: Moritz, CT, Perlmutter, SI, and Fetz, EE. “Direct Control of Paralyzed Muscles by Cortical Neurons.” Nature, published online October 15, 2008.

Source:
Lisa Gough
NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

The Worcester Telegram & Gazette on Monday examined the development of a Hispanic substance use rehabilitation center to open in Worcester, Mass. The Hector E. Reyes House — named after a longtime community activist who started numerous Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous groups for Hispanics — will house 25 Hispanic males in need of substance use treatment. The not-for-profit Latin American Health Alliance will operate the center in partnership with the Henry Lee Willis Community Center.

Mattie Castiel, a physician and LAHA executive director, said the group has held two community meetings laying out its plans and expects to begin the program by the end of the year. Castiel will provide medical services at the center.

Worcester City Manager Michael O’Brien said LAHA has notified neighbors of its plans for the rehab center and believes the alliance has followed recommendations from a 2005 task force to develop the center. O’Brien said the city lacks facilities to address substance use and said LAHA made “a compelling case” for establishing Reyes House.

Some city council members discussed concerns about how the organization will pay property taxes, whether neighbors have been fully informed and whether the center will have adequate leadership. State Rep. James McGovern (D) said, “The addition of the Henry Lee Willis Center has brought tremendous professional experience to this much-needed substance abuse program and important community initiative,” adding, “It’s my understanding that many of the neighborhood’s understandable questions and concerns have been addressed through a thoughtful discussion with residents and activists” (Hammel, Worcester Telegram & Gazette, 10/13).

Reprinted with kind permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

© 2008 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Responding to today’s (Tuesday 21 October 2008) announcement from the Department of Health that patients should be able to self refer to the physiotherapist and other services run by Allied Health Professionals, Dr Laurence Buckman, Chairman of the BMA’s GP Committee, said:

“This has the potential to improve patient access to health services as long as there is good communication between doctors, patients and Allied Health Professionals and also sufficient capacity. Access to physiotherapy services varies across the country. In some areas it is good, in others the service is stretched beyond capacity and some patients choose to go private to be seen within a reasonable time. If there were a rise in direct referrals in overstretched areas there would need to be additional investment to meet the demand for appointments. Without this, we could have a situation where those patients who are referred by their GP or who are leaving hospital have trouble accessing these services.”

British Medical Association

The speech and language therapy service is ‘heading towards crisis’, a new survey of the profession by Unite, the largest union in the country, has revealed.

Unite, which represents 5,500 speech and language therapists (SALTS) and SALT assistants, said that this means longer waiting and referral times for patients and clients, while the workforce becomes more stressed and demoralised.

Unite’s Lead Officer for SALT members, Fiona Farmer said: ‘The survey of our reps paints a service heading towards crisis, with our members having to introduce priority lists and preside over a decline in specialist services.’

‘We want SALT services to be retained in the NHS – not privatised. Money should be spent on clinical services, not administration, so-called ‘restructuring’ and the time-consuming internal commissioning process.’

‘Unite wants specialist posts and services to be maintained and for there to be more investment in training and Continuous Professional Development (CPD).’

‘Our members are also very unhappy at the government’s imposed three-year pay deal totalling 7.99% when inflation is currently at 5.2%. They will have a chance to express their discontent on the pay issue when Unite ballots its members on industrial action in the NHS, starting on 28 October.’

The survey of Unite’s reps which also took into account the members they represent revealed:

- 98% reported that their job left them feeling stressed
- 80% thought the pay deal was not enough
- 69% felt that job cuts had impacted on service provision
- 63% reported lower morale amongst SALTs from a year ago
- 63% reported an increase in their workload from 18 months ago

Fiona Farmer said: ‘There is a feeling that the SALT service, relied on by so many, is becoming a forgotten service. Unite is calling on ministers to take note of these feelings and start to reverse this situation.’

In July, Unite welcomed the Bercow report into children with speech and
language difficulties. The report highlighted the current ‘postcode lottery’ in services experienced by many families.

Unite is holding a ballot of all its NHS members between 28 October and 12
November asking them if they wish to vote for industrial action, including strike action, in protest at the government’s three-year pay deal.

Unite is campaigning against the imposed three-year NHS pay deal which will mean pay rises being barely 50% of the current rate of inflation. More information is available on the ‘campaigns’ page of the website amicustheunion

Unite is the largest union in the UK. It has seven professional sections: the Community Practitioners’ and Health Visitors’ Association, the Mental Health Nurses Association, the Guild of Healthcare Pharmacists, the Society of Sexual Health Advisers, the Medical Practitioners’ Union, College of Healthcare Chaplains, and the Hospital Physicists Association.

Unite was formed by an amalgamation of Amicus and the Transport and General Workers’ Union in May 2007.

Amicus The Union

Local veteran Paul Christian is on a mission..from his wheelchair. Paul will be spending the next eighteen months traveling America alone to meet with fellow wounded or ill veterans and other people overcoming disabilities. He will be blogging his preparations and the trip itself on his website, Seize Adventure , as he speaks to veterans groups about the technology and benefits available to them, volunteers at the Disabled Veterans Summer and Winter Sports Clinics, and volunteers at both the 2010 Winter Olympics and Winter Paralympics in Vancouver, Canada. He also hopes to visit much of the the American countryside and its people, whom he has spent so much of his life protecting as a soldier and defense contractor.

A quadriplegic due to his service in the Army as part of Operation Desert Storm in Iraq (1991), Paul is motivated by the challenges he sees the current generation of severely-wounded veterans facing. He wants to show them that debilitating injury or disease does not mean the end of independence and accomplishment. As he writes on his blog, “We do not have to lay in bed hating life…If you’re willing to reach out and grab ahold, you can still Seize Adventure.”

Paul’s attitude wasn’t always so positive. After he was paralyzed, he at first spent a lot of time laying in bed, unwilling to pursue the physical therapy that could improve his condition. He rarely left home, seeing himself as entirely dependent on someone else to go anywhere or do anything interesting. That perspective changed when a friend pointed Paul to the website of adventurer Ben Saunders, who at the time was in the middle of a solo trek across the North Pole. On impulse, he emailed Saunders, who took the time to reply from his position at the Pole and encouraged Paul to get back to physical therapy in order to regain as much mobility and independence as possible.

Paul now considers Saunders a mentor and credits that email with a major shift in his life. He writes, “If it hadn’t been for that message from Ben, I may not be in the position that I am now. While I am still paralyzed, that physical therapy was crucial in getting back a lot of movement and self sufficiency…Now I find myself on the cusp of this great adventure.”

In preparation, Paul has worked with a number of individuals and companies to modify his vehicle, his equipment…even his clothes, so that he can completely dress and care for himself independently. He is also in the process of lining up sponsors, including Soldiers’ Angels, Kobold Watches, PerMobil Wheelchairs, and his local American Legion post, though additional sponsors are still needed. If he is able to get the rest of the sponsorships required, he hopes to seize his adventure beginning early in December.

For more information and to follow Paul’s progress, see seizeadventure.wordpress.

About Soldiers’ Angels

A volunteer-based 501(c)(3) non-profit, Soldiers’ Angels provides aid and comfort to the men and women of the U.S. military and their families. Comprised of 200,000 volunteers in over twenty different teams and programs, its activities include letters, care packages and comfort items for the deployed, and support for their families at home. The organization also provides assistance to the wounded, continuing support for veterans, remembrances and comfort for families of the fallen, and immediate response to unique difficulties. See soldiersangels for more information.

Soldiers’ Angels