Orthopaedic Outpatient Department-Wigan fracture clinic v4

Wigan Fracture Clinic

Patient Information

Orthopaedic Outpatient Department

• Author ID: LMF 
• Leaflet ref: Musc 052
• Version: 4
• Leaflet title: Wigan Fracture Clinic
• Last review: November 2023
• Expiry Date: November 2025

Patient Identification

Please attach patient’s picture if required (e.g., Nursing/Care Homes, Dementia Patients).

Other Information

Past Medical History

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Medication

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Allergies

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Dietary Requirements (i.e., Modified Diet)

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Patient Details

Please read this leaflet carefully and always bring it with you on every attendance to the hospital. To assist with the flow of the Clinic and reduce waiting times, patients are requested, if possible, to keep to their appointment date and time. If for any reason you cannot attend, please contact us to cancel as soon as possible.

Unit Number / DOB: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...

Patient's Name: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Address: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...

Hospital Appointment Times

Your next appointment is on:

Orthopaedic Outpatients Department

Welcome to the orthopaedic outpatients fracture clinic at Wigan, Royal Albert Edward Infirmary. The Department is situated next door to Pemberton and Aspull Wards on Level 1.

Opening Times

Monday to Friday 7:30am until 5:30pm.

Specialisations

• Upper Limb Trauma – hand, wrist, elbow, and shoulder injuries.
• Lower limb Trauma – foot, ankle, knee, pelvis, and hip injuries.
• Orthopaedic and diabetic foot service.

Each Consultant holds a weekly fracture clinic, there are normally two / three doctors present at each clinic - the Consultant, Fellow and/or Registrar and the patients are divided between them. It is possible that you may not be seen by the Consultant at each visit, but you will be seen by a member of the team. Patients are usually referred by the Accident & Emergency (A&E) Department, General Practitioner (GP) or another Hospital.

Clinic Support

• Nurse-led dressing clinic Monday to Friday
• Referral to the fracture liaison service, a community-based service with the aim to offer people over the age of 50 years, who have suffered a fracture after trauma, an assessment of the risk of Osteoporosis
• The plaster room, led by qualified plaster technicians specialising in all casting techniques, providing a technician–led service for the A&E Department and for walk-in patients experiencing problems with their casts. They also cover the Wards and Departments for the Trust
• The hand physiotherapist team providing specialist hand therapy treatment for trauma patients attending clinic and A&E, and more recently the development of the ‘Fast Track’ clinic
• The virtual clinic - X-rays and notes are reviewed by a Consultant and a team of senior clinicians. Following the review, the patient is either discharged and receives a telephone consultation or if appropriate a fracture clinic appointment

Facilities

The department has two clinic suites each consisting of a consulting room, examination rooms, treatment room, plaster room, physiotherapy suite and small x-ray department. We have two waiting rooms; space can be limited due to the high volume of patients attending the clinics. We also work in conjunction with main x-ray, based on the same floor and the pharmacy department opposite the main entrance to the hospital. The hospital shop / café is also available near the main entrance and drinks machines in the main x-ray department and on the corridors.

The Fracture Clinic

When you arrive, please report to the reception desk in the waiting room, you will then be directed to one of the two waiting rooms depending on the consultant’s clinic you are under. Please inform the reception or nursing staff:

• If you have arrived by ambulance
• If you have any special needs e.g., diabetic, dementia

And have the necessary information, medication necessary for your visit. Patients attending from Nursing / Care Homes could you please ensure the relevant information and patient details are sent with the patient / carer together with a photograph if needed.

Please note: If you are suffering from any infections, diarrhoea, vomiting or flu-like symptoms, please telephone the department before attending as your appointment may need to be re-arranged.

All patients are seen in order of their appointments; you may need your plaster cast removing and / or x-ray taken before seeing the doctor. If this is the case the reception or nursing staff will direct you to the X-ray department, or the staff will call you into the plaster room. Following your x-ray or plaster being removed you will be placed back in time order to see the doctor. You will be called into a consulting room by one of the nursing staff to see the Consultant or a member of their team. If you have a wound, you may be called into the treatment room for removal of the dressing before seeing the doctor.

When you have been seen by the Doctor you may need to have a new cast applied. The plaster technician / nurse will call you into the plaster room as soon as possible. Applying a cast takes skill and time and we ask you to be patient whilst waiting to be seen. Before leaving the clinic, the doctor will tell you what the plan for your care is and you will be asked to report to the reception desk to book your next appointment. Please inform the nursing staff / receptionist if you require ambulance home. Patients, who require a medical certificate, please ask the doctor before leaving the consulting room.

If you have a problem or need advice regarding your treatment during your visit to this department do not hesitate to ask, we provide a named nurse to listen to our patients. The department is very busy with more than one clinic running at any one time. We do try to run the clinic as smoothly and efficiently as possible. Sometimes the doctor may be called to an emergency, get delayed from another clinic or due to high volume of trauma patients attending who need to be seen, delays may occur. Any delay or information will be written on the white board in the waiting rooms and an announcement will be made, your cooperation will be much appreciated.

Car Parking

Please allow for delays and treatment when purchasing a ticket and report to the staff if there are any issues.

Contact Details

• Fracture Clinic / Orthopaedic Out-Patients Wigan Plaster Room: 01942 822106
• Nurses Station: 01942 822109
• Follow Up Appointments: 01942 773162
• Hand Physiotherapy: 01942 822103
• Orthopaedic Secretaries: 01942 822247 / 773256
• Main X-Ray Reception: 01942 822409
• Wrightington Appointments: 01257 256222
• Clinic: 01257 256299
• Admissions: 01257 256219