NHS Funding Boosts Accessibility at Lewis Sports Centre

A successful NHS capital funding grant will make the swimming pool at Ionad Spòrs Leòdhais (Lewis Sports Centre) more accessible for those with mobility issues.

Neuro Hebrides is a local organisation which supports patients with neurological conditions and their carers throughout the Western Isles. They provide a community for shared experience and understanding for those living with or caring for someone with a neurological condition.

The organisation works closely with partner organisations and charities to identify different activities and resources available to their members to help them live with and manage their conditions.

After numerous conversations with service users, it became clear that many of them would really enjoy using the pool at the Lewis Sports Centre, as it would allow them to retain some mobility and a level of fitness they can no longer get from other weight bearing exercises.

Before applying to NHS Western Isles for the grant, there was no hoist at the Lewis Sports Centre as it was deemed unsafe at an earlier inspection. This meant that anyone with mobility issues, who required to be lifted and lowered into the pool, were unable to do so.

The funding has been used to purchase and install a hoist to allow people to be safely lowered into the pool, and easy access steps to enable those with mobility issues to access the pool with ease.

Emily Holmes, Charity Coordinator, Neuro Hebrides, said: “The swimming pool plays a vital role in the local community, and ensuring it is accessible for all will play a crucial role in reducing social isolation for many people by enabling them to participate in swimming related activities.

“The improvements in accessing the pool will not only help people with neurological conditions but will be beneficial to anyone who has difficultly in entering the water due to their limited mobility or anxiety entering the water without easy access steps.”

NHS Western Isles Nurse and AHP Director/Chief Operating Officer, Frances Robertson, said: “Ensuring opportunities to participate in leisure and sports activities are available for those with mobility issues is hugely important and NHS Western Isles is delighted to have been able to support these improvements.

“Making the pool more accessible will help to increase the number of people participating in sport and physical activity. It will help to tackle inactivity, promote health, create opportunities in sport and swimming and much more, not only for people with a neurological condition, but for the whole community.”