Decision Report 201304536

Summary

Mrs C had undergone knee replacement surgery at Woodend Hospital. She was not offered immediate physiotherapy treatment on discharge. At an orthopaedic (involving the musculoskeletal system) out-patient clinic appointment six weeks later, a consultant arranged for out-patient physiotherapy and a further clinic review in six weeks. Mrs C felt that she should have been offered physiotherapy appointments immediately on discharge from hospital, rather than continuing with exercises arranged by the in-patient physiotherapist. The board explained that their standard procedure is that in-patient physiotherapy advice is provided before discharge, and the patient should continue with these exercises until the six week clinic review.

We took independent advice from one of our medical advisers, who said that it is expected that patients would normally follow the exercises set by the in-patient physiotherapist for a period of rehabilitation and then discuss their condition at the orthopaedic out-patient clinic. We found that the practice of not arranging out-patient physiotherapy appointments until after a patient has attended the six week clinic review was accepted practice throughout the NHS and did not uphold Mrs C's complaint.