'Everything was cancelled due to Covid-19 and lockdown. It all fell apart.'
Colyn, 76 from the Lake District, had a stroke in 2019 while he was on holidays in the Scottish Highlands. A former teacher and professional mountaineering instructor, Colyn was left with one-sided weakness and fatigue following his stroke. He received occupational therapy and physiotherapy while in hospital. While this should have continued at home, the Covid-19 pandemic prevented this from happening.
'I didn't have my first physiotherapy session until the end of January [2020]. The physiotherapist then went off sick so it wasn't until February that I started properly with two brilliant physiotherapy sessions. I asked to use the gym equipment and managed to use the rowing machine, static bike and the cross-trainer. I'm a hard taskmaster for myself and was determined to get better. Then everything was cancelled due to Covid-19 and lockdown. It all fell apart.
'I think lockdown has made a massive impact on my recovery. I've had no physiotherapy at all since. In fact, it may be September when I can start again. I live in the middle of the Lake District. The nearest swimming pool is Kendal and I don't drive at the moment, which means I have to get a bus which takes hours there and back. I've done some exercises but it doesn't have the same effect as being there with the physiotherapist.
'I'm 76 now and have always been fit. I played football and basketball, went fell running, I climbed all manner of mountains for years, and used to cycle. But I can't do any of that now. The government has failed vulnerable people in lockdown.'