Ards Swimming Club and Swim Ulster’s Ben McGrady has praised the exemplary care he has received at the Ulster Hospital’s Virtual Fracture Clinic after he broke his arm six weeks ago.
Ben suffered a fall off his mountain bike and was referred to the Fracture Service. The first step in his treatment and ongoing rehabilitation was a referral to the Virtual Fracture Clinic.
South Eastern Trust, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Mr Gavan McAlinden explained how the Clinic is a, “Virtual review of clinical records and x-rays of our patients who have attended an Emergency Department (ED)’s Urgent Care Centre (UCC) and have had a fracture, dislocation or soft tissue injury that requires input from the Orthopaedic service.”
Mr McAlinden added how some patients will receive a phone call from the Specialist Nurse at the Virtual Clinic, “Who will advise of the proposed treatment in advance of their attendance at Clinic. We also have developed protocols, in that, there are a number of fractures and injuries that are suitable for direct discharge from the ED or UCC.
“We review the notes and the x-rays, even if the patient has been discharged directly from ED or UCC as a safety net to ensure that the treatment is appropriate and safe.” These patients do not ordinarily receive a phone call from the Specialist Nurse.
“Treatments can be a variety of things. We can make a decision here if a patient needs further investigation or added directly to our operating list for fracture surgery, without the need to attend a clinic appointment.
“For patients who have downloaded the MyCare app – which is an excellent tool, we are able to communicate directly with them, send them letters and receive notification of their appointment on their phone – they don’t have to worry about losing a piece of paper.”
Ben shared that his experience with the Virtual Fracture Clinic had been, “great.” “It is brilliant and I’ve been able to access my appointment details and letters through the MyCare app on my phone which has been really good. It is really important for me to get back on my feet and back to my training as fast as possible.”