Patient information

Orthopaedics

Find out what to expect when you come to hospital for your hand therapy appointment.

When will I be seen?

After a wrist or hand surgery or trauma

The timing will depend on the condition and the consultant request. For most patients, an appointment will be booked within three to 14 days.

For musculoskeletal conditions

We aim to seeing patients within two months of receiving the referral.

Before your appointment

Upon receiving your referral, we will attempt to contact you by telephone to offer you an appointment. If we are unable to contact, we will send an appointment by post. Please ensure we have your up-to-date contact details.

You are welcome to bring a relative, close friend or carer with you to your appointment. You are also welcome to ask for a chaperone and we will endeavour to provide one for you.

Please remember to check your appointment letter for anything specific you have been asked to take with you. In addition, it would be helpful if you could bring the following:

Loose fitted clothing
Your full address and telephone number(s)
Your GP’s name and address
A list of questions you may want to ask your therapist
Any instructions, medications or splints provided at previous appointments

During your appointment

Please note that we are a teaching hospital, so students may be present for some appointments. If you do not wish to have them in the room please let the therapist know and the students will be asked to step outside.

Your first hand therapy appointment will last 30 to 60 minutes. The therapist will start by asking you questions and may perform a physical assessment of your upper limb.

After your appointment

The number of hand therapy treatment sessions and type of treatment varies between patients (for example, treatments could include a series of exercises, stretches or manual therapy). You can expect to see the same therapist each time. Most patients will be given an exercise programme that we suggest they follow at home.

Get involved

We are always looking for patient expert – i.e. you to help us improve our practice, leaflets, etc. If you would like to be involved in our service, please let us know.