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Diary Dates |
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10 October 08 CHRISTMAS CARDS...  The Mitre May Ball... |
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NEWS RELEASE
MITRE support N.I. Spinal Games Team
19th April 2005
A team of patients with spinal cord injuries from Musgrave Park Hospital have returned from England after representing Northern Ireland in the seventeenth Inter Spinal Unit Games. The team, supported by hospital charity MITRE took part in the games over the weekend from 11-14th April 2005. The Inter Spinal Unit Games is an annual sporting event encouraging patients in their first year of spinal injury to start or maintain an interest in sporting activities.
The Spinal Cord Injuries Unit at Musgrave Park Hospital provides intense rehabilitation for people across Northern Ireland. All three members of the team are in their first year of spinal injury.
Carmel Lavery, Senior Occupational Therapist leading the team, said,
"Sport is an essential part of the rehabilitation of spinal injured patients at Musgrave Park Hospital. The Inter Spinal Games gives our patients an opportunity to enjoy competitive sport, to meet others with similar injuries and most importantly, it contributes towards a sense of independence, crucial to every individual".
Team member Martin McNeill enjoyed the challenge of new sports when training for the Games,
"The Inter Spinal Unit Games is a fantastic event and even the practice sessions in the new MITRE Rehabilitation Unit have been great from a social point of view. It has been an excellent opportunity to try sports you would never have thought possible."
Martin turned out to be the star of the Northern Ireland team as he fought off all competition to take first place in the swimming competition.
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Notes to Editors
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The team who represented Northern Ireland at the Inter Spinal Unit Games were: Martin McNeill, John Hagan, and Ursula Marshall. Three multi-disciplinary staff from Musgrave Park Hospital accompanied the team: Carmel Lavery (Senior Occupational Therapist), Desy McIlkenny (Physiotherapist) and Karen Gracey (Healthcare Assistant).
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The Spinal Cord Injuries Unit (SCIU) at Musgrave Park Hospital provides an intensive, individualised and comprehensive rehabilitation service for patients within Northern Ireland with spinal cord injuries.
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Managed by Green Park Healthcare Trust, the SCIU at Musgrave is the only spinal injury unit in Northern Ireland offering regional rehabilitative care, and one of only twelve SCIU units within the UK and Ireland. Teams of specialised medical and nursing staff, as well as therapists with expert skills and training, look after patient care on a 24-hour basis.
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Musgrave Park Hospital is also the home of the Regional Disablement Service, providing customised wheelchairs and aids across Northern Ireland. The Disabled Living Centre at Musgrave is another valuable and complementary service that allows patients to see at close quarters the benefits of equipment and aids for wheelchair users.