Orthopaedic Service

Orthopaedics is the care of the bones, joints and the soft tissues of the limbs and spine.

We treat a wide variety of conditions such as factures and sprains, sports injuries and damage to bones as a result of ageing. These conditions may be present from birth, or they may occur as a result of injury or age-related wear and tear.

Common conditions treated by orthopaedic surgeons include:

• severe osteoarthritis of the hip or knee. Where joints have become destroyed by disease, or worn out, orthopaedic surgeons can often replace these joints with artificial ones.

• fractured (broken) bones
• torn or inflamed muscles, tendons and cartilage
• dislocations of joints
• infections in bones and joints
• trapped nerves
• disorders of the spine -your GP will tell you if your condition is one that could benefit from an orthopaedic opinion. 

Can’t make your appointment time?

Appointments at our outpatient clinics are in high demand. Please let us know if you can’t make your appointment as soon as possible.

In some cases you can cancel or change your appointment online.  Find out more

You can also call us on 0800 999 442

These are for patients need follow up appointments after their fracture has been treated.

You may have a follow up appointment to monitor progress or to assess whether further treatment is needed, such as re-manipulation of a fracture, or removal of a cast. Sometimes an x-ray is taken before you are seen in the clinic.

Although you have been given an appointment time, the time to have x-rays, casts removed, and have other treatments may take a few hours. At other times appointments may be much quicker, especially if your treatment is progressing smoothly.

Please tell the reception staff if you have other commitments that mean you would like to leave the clinic promptly. They will tell the clinic staff who will try to keep any delay to a minimum.

You’ll be booked in for a general outpatient appointment if your GP has referred you for an orthopaedic opinion on a specific concern. At these appointments a specialist orthopaedic surgeon who will be available to advise on diagnosis and management.

Please ask your GP if there are any x-rays or scans that might need help us investigate your condition. Please bring any scan results to your appointment.

GPs can ask for x-rays and ultrasounds to be done at the hospital. There is no cost to you for this. Alternatively, you can have these tests done more promptly in the private x-ray clinics but you will have to pay for them yourself.

Clinics for specific conditions

We also run clinics for specific parts of the body or specific conditions. We run clinics focusing on orthopaedic tumours, spinal disorders and injuries, Foot and Ankle, Hand, Paediatric, Scoliosis, Joint Replacement and Haemophilia. 

If you have an appointment at one of these clinics you will be seen by a surgeon and other health professionals who have special expertise in that condition.

If your problem is with your spine you will be seen by one of our specialised spine surgeons. Only a small percentage of the patients seen by the spine surgeons need to have a spinal operation.

When you come in for an outpatient appointment, doctors will assess your condition, discuss your options and recommend treatment.

Appointments at all our clinics are scarce so there may be some delay before you receive one.

You must be assessed by your GP before you can be referred to the Orthopaedic Service. It is not possible for the Orthopaedic Department to see every patient who is referred. Patients needing urgent care are often referred by other hospital specialists.

We provide both acute urgent (acute) and planned (elective) treatment.

If you need urgent care (for example to fix a broken bone) you will be referred directly to orthopaedics from our Emergency Department or your GP.

In non urgent cases, your GP will send us a letter explaining your condition.

When you are referred for a non urgent condition, an orthopaedic surgeon will assess the information from your GP and then make a decision on whether you need to come in for an appointment.

Do I need to bring anything to my appointment?

You need to bring with you:

1. Any letters or reports from your doctor or other hospital.
2. Any x-rays, CT or MRI films and reports.
3. All medicines you are taking including herbal and natural remedies.
4. Your ACC number, if you have one.        

 
If you have a condition that was caused by an accident, you may be able have treatment by an orthopaedic surgeon outside the hospital covered Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC). Your GP will decide if this is an appropriate treatment option.

Many minor orthopaedic conditions can be treated by GPs and you may be referred to a sports medicine doctor, a rheumatologist or a physiotherapist. For many minor orthopaedic conditions these are exactly the same health professionals that the orthopaedic surgeon uses to assist in your recovery.

During your visit to our service you may meet:

• Orthopaedic Surgeons – surgeons who have specialised treating the skeletal system.
  

You may also be assessed by:

• Rheumatologists

• sports doctors

• neurologists

• other surgical specialists

• nurses