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Consoles used by staff in medical centre

Tuesday 19th May 2009

Occupational therapists at a UK hospital have been using games consoles in an attempt to help patients.

Staff at Lincoln County Hospital managed to get Nintendo to donate a Wii, which they are using to enhance the mobility of patients, the Lincolnshire Echo reports.

Claire Flavell, senior occupational therapist at the medical centre, said: "The bowling game is particularly popular for people who need to improve the movement in their wrist, elbow and shoulder."

In addition, playing the game is a good distraction for people who are in pain as it encourages natural movement, she claimed.

Ms Flavell went on to say that the main aim of occupational therapy is to help people to achieve their full potential following illnesses or accidents.

Run by United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, Lincoln County Hospital was founded over two hundred years ago, although the majority of the site has been rebuilt over the last 20 years.

Written by Alex Franklin Stortford