“When I first came here, I could only walk tentatively with my stick. I can now walk without it, I’m much stronger and my confidence is really good,” said Fiona Wilkie.

Fiona, from Lanark, is taking part in an innovative rehabilitation programme at Blantyre LIFE, which is supporting her recovery following a stroke. She added: “It has given me a safe place to practise with support from the team. It has been amazing and I don’t think I would have reached this stage without it.”

The programme brings together the University of Strathclyde, NHS Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire Council and South Lanarkshire University Health and Social Care Partnership to understand how technology-enriched rehabilitation can be successfully delivered in a local community setting.

Scott Haldane, NHS Lanarkshire Non-Executive Director and a member of South Lanarkshire Integration Joint Board, said: “It has been fantastic to see this technology in action and hear directly from the staff and patients involved about the possibilities it presents for people recovering from stroke.

“By bringing together expertise from the NHS, local government and academia, this programme is helping us understand how technology can support recovery and independence after a stroke and what that could mean for community-based rehabilitation in the future.”

Professor Soumen Sengupta, Chief Officer for Health and Social Care for South Lanarkshire, said: “Listening to Fiona and others on the programme has reinforced the difference it can make when people are supported to recover in familiar, local settings.

“This is the kind of care we want to keep developing for the future: leading-edge support brought closer to people, helping them rebuild confidence, regain independence and get back to everyday life in their own communities.”

Building on earlier work by the University of Strathclyde and NHS Lanarkshire, the programme will contribute to the evidence base for technology-enabled rehabilitation within community settings.

Dr Andy Kerr, Principal Investigator for the TERG research at the University of Strathclyde, said: “The learning generated through this partnership will contribute to the evidence base and help inform future rehabilitation services across Scotland.

“We are grateful to our local partners and their teams for their commitment to innovation and dedication to learning.”

Developed through a co-creation study at the University of Strathclyde, the programme offers eight weeks of technology-enriched rehabilitation at Blantyre LIFE, where people recovering from stroke are supported by trained staff to practise safely, rebuild confidence and work towards greater independence.

The Technologically Enriched Rehabilitation Gym forms part of wider University of Strathclyde research exploring how rehabilitation can be delivered in community settings. It has received support from the Sir Jules Thorn Charitable Trust, Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland, the Garfield Weston Foundation and NHS Lanarkshire endowment, alongside staffing commitments from partner organisations.