Orthopaedic Services

The Orthopaedic Physiotherapy Team is one of the largest in the trust, with eight physiotherapists and three Technical Instructors. Some of our team are rotational so there are often new faces.

Our caseload is divided into Elective Patients (patients who have a planned admission for an operation – e.g. a total knee replacement) and trauma patients (patients who have had an accident and injured a bone or soft tissue – e.g. a broken arm or leg).

Our elective patients are usually based on one of two wards, Day Surgery, or Philip Yeoman Ward.

Our trauma patients are usually admitted from A&E straight to Forrester Brown Ward the Trauma Admissions Unit.

After their operation the patients are usually moved to our transition ward for a few days before they are discharged.

When the hospital is extra busy, some trauma patients may be based on other wards in the hospital, but they will still be seen by the Orthopaedic Physiotherapy Team.

Our role is to help patients return to their best level of function to allow them to be discharged home. This usually involves us teaching patients exercises which they need to do daily to maintain their muscle strength and joint flexibility.

Our role also involves helping patients to walk, often with the use of walking aids (e.g. crutches or a zimmer frame).

As a team we work very closely with the patient and their family, with Doctors, Nurses, Occupational Therapists, and our colleagues in the community to ensure patients are discharged safely.

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