STAFF at Petersfield Hospital have been raising awareness about occupational therapy.

It comes as the Royal College of Occupational Therapists organised its annual awareness week, which ran earlier this month.

The team had a stall to interact with people entering and leaving the hospital in Swan Street and to raise awareness about their work.

Occupational therapist Sharon Mitchell said: “It’s just to get our information out there and explain to everybody what we do.

“This raises more awareness of the activities that we work on and the areas that we cover. We are enabling people to engage with activities that they enjoy. We set goals with patients and make realistic targets.”

Occupational therapists work with patients with varied needs – from those with a brain injury, to patients receiving palliative care to young children.

Sharon added: “It’s that relief for people to be able to do things they used to be able to do and to engage in activities and to take part in life.

“A lot of people tend to withdraw and become reliant on carers. This is showing people what it’s like to have some of these disabilities that people cope with every day.”