----- Original Message -----
From: "Martyn Hodson" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, October 15, 2001 11:18 PM
Subject: Re: Patients Charter for Tourists
> i think the issue her is that the follow up is fracture clinic for
patients
> with fractures, and fracture clinic is part of the hospital and 'belongs'
to
> the orthopods
Don't get me wrong Martyn, I have tried arranging distant follow-up in my
youth! But I found many patients don't know their local unit or don't know
whether it has a fracture clinic. Inordinate time is then spent with maps
and phone books, followed by inordinate time on the phone. The majority of
these patients are generally healthy; tourists, students and the like -
that's why they're far from home when they have their injury. They're
perfectly capable of doing the detective work in their own time when they
get home - many will now have a lot of time on their hands! Clearly if it
was a vulnerable old lady it might be different, but they don't tend to tour
round London, at least not without their daughter in toe! Finally many of
these consultations will be nights and weekends; the other hospital fracture
clinic is then closed. And I don't believe it's appropriate to phone the
on-call orthopaedic registrar at night to arrange such a routine
appointment - he will not thank you for the call. This should be done via
fracture clinic sister or secretary during office hours. And if it's just an
A&E follow-up that's required, then pre-arrangement is generally not
necessary.
Adrian Fogarty
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