Service Overview

Physiotherapists identify and maximise movement potential through health promotion, preventative healthcare, treatment and rehabilitation.

Physiotherapy is an autonomous profession and practice is characterised by reflective behaviour and systematic clinical reasoning, both contributing to and underpinning a problem solving approach to patient centred care.

Your Physiotherapist will:

• Assess current levels of function
• Identify treatment aims
• Devise and offer a treatment plan
• Liaise with and signpost to other professions where necessary
• Treat a wide spectrum of conditions including musculoskeletal, neurological, rheumatology, paediatrics, mental health, respiratory, palliative care and orthopaedic conditions.

Accessibility / Acceptability

Physiotherapy services can be accessed by all service users registered with a Herefordshire GP practice.

Service users are managed as effectively as possible respecting their medical, social and religious backgrounds. All service users can access services regardless of gender, disability or culture.

Opening Hours

All physiotherapy departments are open Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 4pm.

Population Served

All physiotherapy services are accessible to service users registered with a Herefordshire GP.

Some access is available to service users from Powys, Shropshire, Gloucestershire and South Worcestershire.

The Team

The physiotherapy service is well established and interfaces strongly and effectively with many other areas of including primary care, social care, schools, other council departments, the private sector and the voluntary sector.

The core skills of a physiotherapist include manual therapy, therapeutic exercise and electrophysical modalities. Fundamental to the physiotherapists approach however is an appreciation of the psychological, cultural and social factors which influence their service users and their role in helping themselves maximise independence and function. Close multidisciplinary working is central to the service.

Self Care and Patient and Carer Information

All physiotherapy interventions are delivered with a strong self management approach - service users are educated about their condition and how best to manage it.

This is achieved by either face to face education or via group sessions.

Advice and education is reinforced by the use of many handouts and leaflets.

Physiotherapy at the County Hospital

The Physiotherapy department provides inpatient services across the whole hospital including:

• Orthopaedics
• Medical Wards
• Critical Care/ITU/Surgical Wards
• Stroke Services
• Women's Health
• Frailty

And outpatient services including:

• GP direct access referrals for musculo-skeletal conditions
• Rheumatology
• Musculoskeletal Services
• Hand Therapy
• Orthopaedic Outpatients, Pre-Assessment Workshops (Hip and Knee) and Gym Classes
• Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Respiratory Outpatients
• Falls Clinic/Assessment and groups
• Women's Health (Incontinence assessments, Antenatal classes and musculo-skeletal assessment)
• Neurology outpatients (MS, Parkinson's, Stroke)

Outline of the Department

Therapy Services include:

• Occupational Therapy
• Physiotherapy
• Speech and Language Therapy
• Dietetics

Links with other Departments

We work closely together with inpatient services across all wards, Occupational Therapy and Speech and Language Therapy, together with the Assessment and Rehabilitation Centre based in the Fred Bulmer Building).

Useful Links

Chartered Society of Physiotherapy