Patients to benefit from extended working hours for RJAH physios

Surgical patients at The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital are to benefit from increased access to physiotherapy treatment – as part of a move towards full seven-day services.

The specialist hospital in Oswestry already carries out surgical procedures on a Saturday, but the Therapy team have only been available on an on-call basis – with the on-site service provided Monday-to-Friday between 8am and 6pm.

Now, thanks to an investment of almost £100,000 to recruit extra staff, and to align with the opening of the Trust’s new £15.1 million Theatre development later this summer, that is all to change. Physio support in the new Baschurch Day Unit will be extended into the evening in the week and on Saturdays, while there will be three physios on duty on a Sunday from 8am to 6pm to provide on-site support to the surgical wards.

The changes will mean more patients being able to begin rehabilitation work in a timely fashion after surgery – in turn aiding more rapid discharge to allow them to return home.

Mark Brandreth, Chief Executive of RJAH, said: “Getting patients moving as soon as possible after surgery improves their outcomes, and therefore the early intervention and enhanced recovery that we will be able to provide by having more physios available will make a significant difference.

“We want our patients to get a complete service which is safe, effective and caring, no matter what day of the week they are in our care.

“The provision of seven-day services is one of the key objectives for the NHS nationally and we are delighted to be taking another significant step in that direction. Patients should expect the same quality of assessment, diagnosis, treatment and review on any day of the week.”

RJAH aim to have their new Therapy service arrangements in place by the end of September, to coincide with the final completion of their new Theatre and Ward Development.

The change will require recruitment of new physios – making up a whole-time equivalent of 3.42 people – to join the team.

Lorraine Lewis, Therapy Services Manager at RJAH, said: “At present we have an on-call system in place for emergencies in evenings and at weekends, but it has become increasingly clear that this is no longer suitable as demand for services at these times has risen.

“When these new arrangements are put in place, day-case patients will have physios available on shift right up until late in the evening. We are confident that this will have a massive impact on patient experience and outcomes.

“I would like to thank our existing staff, who have worked immensely hard to provide the service in its current form and have given great care to our patients. We acknowledge that
this change will have an impact on them, and we will be consulting with them over the next three months in order to smooth the transition as far as possible.

“We will be recruiting to full- and part-time physio positions and would encourage anyone interested in joining our team to get in touch for an informal chat, and to check the NHS Jobs website for our latest vacancies.”