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Surgeons and nurses awesome. Lack of early physiotherapy int...

Posted By tartan100

"Surgeons and nurses awesome. Lack of early physiotherapy intervention disgraceful!"

About: Forth Valley Royal Hospital / Orthopaedics Outpatients / Fracture Clinic

(as a service user),

Had surgery at Forth Valley Royal Hospital.  The surgeons and nurses were friendly, professional and caring.  It was a positive experience. They get 10/10.

However, the total lack of early physiotherapy intervention was a disgrace and in my opinion threaten to undo the excellent work by the surgeons!

The fracture clinic staff were kind and friendly and professional. However, no documentation was given or prescribed regarding care and exercise regime whilst arm was in removable splint (split provided once cast removed).  Yes the fracture clinic staff said that I should wiggle my fingers and demonstrated the one exercise.  However, there is an array of exercises to do when wrist is in splint (referring to what can be found on youtube), however, I was only shown the one exercise by folk in the fracture clinic.  In addition nobody said I could remove my splint to wash my arm and to rotate wrist.  I wasn't even given a printed document advising how to care for my arm whilst it was in a splint and no pictures showing different exercises. 

I think it's appalling that there is no physiotherapy input whilst limb is still in a splint.  NHS Forth Valley website is of no use either.  They only have 2 documents relating to wrist fractures and sadly they only pertain to patients who do NOT  require surgery.

It would appear that I will be seeing the NHS physiotherapist every 3 weeks now my arm is out of its splint. In addition, I have started seeing a private physiotherapist on weekly basis.

My advice to the manager of NHS Forth Valley, if you really care about patients, then ensure there is a physiotherapist (P) or physiotherapy assistant (PA) in each fracture clinic.  Ensure each patient gets seen by the P/PA , so they can demonstrate exercises to do whilst limbs are in splint. Also ensure there is a P/ PA with the consultants at each follow up appointment. In addition update publications so that patients can also access the necessary information online.  

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Responses

Response from Kevin McCloskey, Senior Charge Nurse, Orthopaedics & Trauma, NHS Forth Valley 12 months ago
Kevin McCloskey
Senior Charge Nurse, Orthopaedics & Trauma,
NHS Forth Valley

Submitted on 09/05/2023 at 15:55
Published on Care Opinion at 16:23

picture of Kevin McCloskey

Dear tartan100,

I am sorry to hear that you have sustained a wrist injury and have had to undergo surgery.

I am pleased that most of your treatment pathway went smoothly but I am sorry that your transition from cast to attending physiotherapy was not ideal. Due to the demand on services it is not possible to have a physiotherapist at every fracture clinic but access to their service is usually prompt and timely. I am sorry you feel you did not receive adequate information when you were taken out out of cast and placed into the splint and I will feedback to the fracture clinic staff your concerns which we will learn from. The staff do try to put the patient at the centre of what they and give good information and answer any questions. It is not always the case that mobilisation starts as soon as the cast comes off and the splint is often applied to further immobilise the joint until therapy begins. I am not able to comment further as I don't have the specifics of your injury.

I appreciate you taking the time to give us your feedback and I wish you a speedy recovery.

Kind Regards

Kevin McCloskey

Senior Charge Nurse

Trauma and Orthopaedics

  • {{helpful}} {{helpful == 1 ? "person thinks" : "people think"}} this response is helpful

Update posted by tartan100 (a service user)

Dear Mr McCloske,

Thank you for taking the time to reply to my feedback.

I do appreciate NHS departments have limited resouces (financial, etc) and they do the best they can with what they have. However, if the patient is coming out of their cast for their first time, then in my opinion that is the most important time for the patient to see a physiotherapist, because the physio can decide what exercises, if any, will best help the patient whilst their limb is in a splint.

I appreciate patients can ask your staff questions, however, in my case I was in so much pain when the cast was removed and a splint put on in its place, that I couldn't think clearly. That is why my suggestions of providing information in paperform and updating the NHS Forth Valley website with information regarding wrist fractures requiring sugery, would go a long way to help patients manage their limb in a splint post surgery. Your wonderful staff are also human and they may forget to pass on essential information, e.g. as was in my case no one told me I could remove splint to bathe arm.

I am about to be discharged from physiotherapy. Frustratingly I have referred pain in my wrist and hand and it can take 2 years to heal and in some cases it doesn't heal. But that's life!

I wish you and your wonderful staff well and hopefully this year Father Christmas will bring a Physiotherapist to join your staff in the plaster room.

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