Hundreds of NHS patients with lower limb pain to benefit as multidisciplinary triage service begins
Physiotherapists based at AECC University College (UC) in Bournemouth are linking up with Dorset Musculoskeletal (MSK) to provide a triage service in its on-site clinics. Working in multidisciplinary teams, three physiotherapists and four chiropractic clinicians will start triaging a caseload of 700 patients with lower limb pain or discomfort.
Physiotherapist Neil Langridge, who is the director of AECC UC's clinical and rehabilitation services, said: ‘We are really pleased to be supporting the NHS locally in this way and working together to help reduce waiting lists.
‘Our clinical service aims to represent a gold standard for collaboration between services; we’re a forward-thinking organisation that prioritises collaboration to help patients reach their potential.'
A new 'community of practice'
Dr Langridge became director of clinical and rehabilitation services at AECC UC last year, leaving a high-profile role as consultant physiotherapist and clinical lead of MSK services at Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust.
Dr Langridge added: ‘We’re bringing professions together in a community of practice, based on competency, safety and capability. With different services working together in this way, we can create something really exciting and unique that will enable our patients to reach their potential. This new triaging service is a great example of this.’
Chiropractic clinic lead Daniel Heritage described the initiative as 'uniquely collaborative'. 'The focus for us is on competency, rather than profession. Our focus is on giving patients the best outcome from the assessments that we are undertaking. Patients are also able to access our on-site imaging service if needed to determine the best care for that patient. The range of rehabilitation services that we have on site makes us very well-placed to offer a service like this.'
We’re bringing professions together in a community of practice, based on competency, safety and capability ... we can create something really exciting and unique that will enable our patients to reach their potential [Neil Langridge]
A boon for students too
Mr Heritage added: ‘The triage service might refer a patient for a course of manual therapy, offer self-help and advice, or referral for surgical opinion. We completed our first successful trial of patients a couple of weeks ago and the service is now live.
‘Running this service also offers our students a fantastic opportunity to observe and learn from the patient care taking place.'
To find out more about AECC UC's clinical and rehabilitation services, click
To read an earlier PhysioUpdate article about Neil Langridge’s role at AECC UC, click
Author: Ian A McMillan
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