If you have recently seen your GP, First Contact Practitioner or Consultant (Rheumatology, Orthopaedic, Maxillofacial or Neurosurgeon) and they have recommended seeing a Physiotherapist then they should make the referral directly to us. Once we receive the referral it is triaged by one of our senior clinicians and prioritised to see a member of the team. Once this has been taken place our administration team will be in contact either via Telephone or Letter to book an appointment.

The initial appointment will either be face to face to telephone and this be the start of your rehabilitation. The time scale to be seen is variable over the year but we are constantly working to keep this within a manageable time frame.

What to Expect on your first appointment?

During your one-to-one Outpatient assessment whether this is on the telephone or in person, you will have an assessment by a qualified Physiotherapist who will:

  1. Discuss your problem with you, asking questions about your symptoms and medical history
  2. Conduct a thorough examination with your consent
  3. Provide you with an explanation of your symptoms
  4. Agree a plan on how to help you achieve your goals and your best possible outcome

Please be aware that on your face to face appointments you might need to undress to show are area of the body in pain. If you feel you need any adjustments for your assessment, please contact reception and they will be happy to help with your needs.

Treatment options

We have a wide range of treatment options to help you with your condition. Treatment options will be discussed with you and agreed collaboratively based on evidence-based research and clinical indication.

Examples include:

  1. Advice & education
  2. Exercise therapy
  3. Class-based rehabilitation
  4. Manual therapy
  5. Aquatic Therapy
  6. Acupuncture

What can you do to help us with your treatment?

During your first appointment, we will find out as much as possible about how your problem started and how it is affecting you.

  1. We will discuss what your goals and concerns are. To help us properly assess your problem have a think about what you would like to achieve from your treatment
  2. We will ask for your permission to remove some of your outer clothing so that we can see the affected area and perform movements and tests on you to establish the exact cause of your problem. You may feel more comfortable bringing a vest top and shorts to wear depending on the location of your problem.
  3. We aim to see you at the time stated on your appointment letter; however, some appointments do run over time. To help us keep to appointment times, please allow plenty of time to reach the hospital, park and get to the Physiotherapy department for your appointment.

Women and Men’s Health Physiotherapy

Please visit the Pelvic Health Physiotherapy page for further information.