Hospital stroke patients to be given music therapy

Abbie Jean-Baptiste, a neurologic music therapist, says music will be used as a tool to help enhance recovery

Stroke patients in South Yorkshire will be given music therapy to "inspire hope and progress" as part of a two-year trial.

Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said the technique helped the brain's ability to adapt and form new neural connections, aiding the person's recovery.

Methods include using singing to help with aphasia, a condition that affects a person's ability to communicate and is often caused by a stroke.

The move is part of a wider £1.4m project at the specialist stroke unit at Mexborough's Montagu Hospital, with a new rehabilitation gym set to open in summer.

Music therapy was an established way of helping people with their mental and physical needs along with providing social interaction, the trust said.

Other techniques include learning to play musical instruments to help with motor skills and inattention.

'Hub of excellence'

Abbie Jean-Baptiste, a neurologic music therapist who is running the pilot project, said: "The biggest myth around music therapy is that you need to sing or play an instrument - you don't need any special talent.

"Functional goals are at the heart of each session, whether we're singing to improve speech, playing instruments to build motor skills or using music as a tool to enhance your recovery."

The new gym is set to feature robotic devices to help with upper and lower limb recovery, balance, and mobility.

Dr Peter Anderton, a stroke consultant at the trust, said: "Alongside [the robotic therapy suite] and the newly acquired music therapy, the service is heading towards becoming a hub of excellence throughout the region."

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