NHS physio after private surgery?

Traveller37

I am paying for a knee replacement to be done privately because I can't live with the 6 month wait. (No point in having money in the bank if you can't walk!) My package includes physio before discharge but not afterwards.

Does anyone know if it is possible to get NHS physio after discharge, or will I have to pay for it myself?

jenniewb

I'd say ask your doctor, it could be different per catchment area but going on their own rules where if you have had treatments abroad of even in the UK and they have gone wrong, the NHS do end up fixing it at the end, so basicly if the problem exists, however it was caused (and even if its supposed to happen as in your case: re needing physio for something that would require physio anyway) they do seem to treat it without question.

I would suggest calling NHS direct if your unable to see your doctor in time.
0845 46 47

Diana_Prince

In some places you see a physio the day after surgery and are shown the correct exercises. It may vary due to regions etc but you might not need physio. But you can self refer to NHS physio if you wish.

Becc4

gggrrrr.
your surgery should at least involve a physio and OT assessment before you leave the hospital as these no point in having a 'new' knee if you cant get up and walk is there.... you may need some equipment for first few weeks which may be loaned to you, but you may be required to purchased them depending on the hospital policy. ie raised toilet seat, chair raiser, bed raisers, and no you can not get them before as how will you know how far you can bend joint until post op, also furniture is not of standard height so expect to take measurements into hospital with you. btw you will be given a programe on discharge which you will be required to continue at home, some hospitals have a group for post op assessments but not individual cases. hope this helps

moneylover

If I was having a new knee and wanted it to be the best it could be I would have quite a bit of physio after, or many trainers at local gyms are quite good at this sort of exercise programme too. If you self refer you might have quite a long wait. It may well be that the surgeon can arrange the NHS physio for you many of them are quite accommodating - I have a mix of private and NHS treatment for my condition. However normally the surgeion would just refer to the hospitals private physio so do get this sorted out in advance. I doubt anyway that the amount of physio you will get on the NHS would be enough and also you may be in a class rather than seen individually.
A good place to ask for the gold standard of what would be good to do in terms of getting the best possible result whould be the patients corner of the Physio forum. If you are the person who wants to go diving etc afterwards I would work very hard towards a strong knee that will let you do as much as possible and isnt just suitable for someone with a more limited life style. I am a huge fan of physio - a private session will cost you about £50.

waitingforpost

The NHS doesn't provide physio after they discharge you after a knee replacement. The physio should go through the exercises with you before you are discharged and you just do these yourself at home. I've got a few relatives who have had knee replacements on the NHS (each in different hospitals) and none of them were entitled to physio after being discharged.

As long as you do the exercises you won't need physio. HTH

kittieviolet

Hi
Good luck with your surgery. Local policy varies a great deal regarding NHS physio, it may be worth contacting your local department and just asking them. Some areas take self referral, some do not. The exercises that you would be given post op are the basics and yes you may find that they are enough for you, each individual recovers differently, but others do require a lot of post op help to get going again, so there is no harm in checking out your options beforehand.

Traveller37

Thanks for all the helpful replies. I don't think I'll need all the extra equipment - that seems to be for hip replacements, not knees. I have already borrowed a zimmer frame and a pair of crutches. I will ask about physio at my private pre-op appointment, and will see if the surgeon has some way of getting me in for NHS physio. I am also seeing my GP early next week to ask her about it, and about NHS prescriptions for pain relief afterwards. I am indeed the ancient scuba diver who want to get back to full fitness as quickly as possible, and I intend to work very hard at the physio, which seems to be crucial. I have found information about physio at a big local NHS teaching hospital who do private work as well, and who say that they feed you into NHS physio as soon as they can.

I am still exercising three times a week to keep myself as fit as possible before the op. Have I covered all bases? Is there anything else I should be doing?

Traveller37

Moneylover - you said "A good place to ask for the gold standard of what would be good to do in terms of getting the best possible result whould be the patients corner of the Physio forum". Can you give me a link to this? I've searched but can't find it.

moneylover

here you are
http://www.physiobob.com/forum/forum.php

Traveller37

Many thanks for the link, moneylover.