Musculoskeletal Outpatients
Who we are
The Musculoskeletal Outpatients Physiotherapy Team is based at both Royal Preston Hospital and Chorley & South Ribble Hospital. The team is made up of Specialist physiotherapists and therapy assistants who are all passionate about offering a high quality service to their patients.
Our aim for you:
As an MSK Physiotherapist I will see my patients at a convenient time for them, in a safe and welcoming environment. I will be a caring and knowledgeable Physiotherapist. I will listen empathetically to their needs, treat them with dignity and provide high quality, effective treatment and information, to help them achieve their personal goals.
Our area of speciality is in the assessment and management of musculoskeletal conditions (conditions which affect the bones, joints, muscles, ligaments in your body). We receive referrals mainly from our colleagues in orthopaedics, the urgent care and emergency departments, and neurosurgery. We do not accept GP referrals.
- What we do
What we do
As we are an acute hospital, the majority of our patients are recovering from a traumatic injury or surgery. Our role is to support your recovery, enabling the return of normal movement and function in order that you can return to work and doing the usual activities which you enjoy.
All treatment is individualised to each patient, and so we will work with you from the beginning to establish your realistic goals for treatment.
We encourage patients to take an active role in their own recovery and we will develop a self-management plan for you to incorporate at home. This will usually include some simple exercises to enable you to restore normal movement, strength, balance and function.
We also take a holistic approach to treatment, incorporating the social, cultural and psychological factors which may have an impact on your recovery.
Treatments
Physiotherapists use their expertise, the best available and up to date evidence and clinical experience to inform their decisions regarding individual treatment for each patient. Some of the treatment options which may be offered for your individual needs include:
Exercise therapy:
Including individualised home based exercises to improve your muscle strength, increase your joint range of movement, and improve balance and general fitness.
Gym Classes:
We have a large gym space at both sites which allows for group classes. This allows you to use some of the more specialised gym equipment that you may not have at home in order to progress your rehabilitation. This can also be offered on a 1:1 basis if the group class is not suitable.
Click here to see more information about our gym classes.Hydrotherapy:
Hydrotherapy is a water based exercise treatment that takes place in our indoor pool.
Detailed information about hydrotherapy can be found in our patient infromation leaflet.
Manual Therapy:
This can include soft tissue and joint mobilisation which may be used in addition to your exercise programme if required.
Acupuncture:
Acupuncture may be offered to help manage your pain. Treatment involves inserting fine needles into specific points just under the surface of the skin.
Detailed information about acupuncture can be found in our patient information leaflet.
Electrotherapy
Electrotherapy uses electrical energy to promote tissue healing.
Therapeutic Taping
Taping can be used to support muscle function, joint position, and stability. Detailed information can be found in our patient information leaflet
- Meet the team
The Musculoskeletal Outpatient Therapy Team
Anisa TailorAnisa is a member of the reception team, who are responsible for arranging your appointments, welcoming you into the department when you arrive, and assisting with any queries you may have if you need to contact us in-between your appointments.Emily BirdEmily graduated from Manchester University in 1997 with a 2:1 Hons Degree in Physiotherapy. Since then she has worked in the NHS at Blackburn, Bolton and more recently here at LTHTR. She completed her junior training and then specialised in MSK and has extensive experience in the MSK field, working in various roles including leadership. Emily is also qualified in acupuncture, hydrotherapy and Pilates.
Daniel Carroll
Daniel graduated from ‘The University of Central Lancashire’ in 2008. Since then, Daniel has been working within the NHS, private sector and sporting industry. Daniel completed his junior rotations before specialising within musculoskeletal physiotherapy. Daniel has a keen interest in upper and lower limb pathology and rehabilitation.Andrew W Gardner
Andrew trained at the Wolverhampton School of Physiotherapy qualifying with BSc in physiotherapy in 1991. He then worked at Lancaster for 3 years before being promoted to the Royal Preston Hospital in 1994. He has worked for Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust for 25 years and now is the Upper Limb Extended Scope Physiotherapist. He works as a specialist with Mr Hughes and Howell for the upper limb team in Orthopaedics and in physiotherapy at Chorley and Royal Preston Hospitals. Andrew manages the most complex upper limb cases as well as training and advising his colleagues in this area. He has a diploma in Non-Medical Prescribing and Injection therapy as well as being a member of the Acupuncture Association of Physiotherapists. He has been a committee member of the North West Upper Limb Group of specialist upper limb surgeons and therapists for 6 years and has presented lectures to this forum on 3 occasions. He is also an Allied Health member of the British Shoulder and Elbow Society where he has attended many conferences and reviews research papers for the British Shoulder and Elbow Journal.
Alan Perkins
Alan graduated from ‘Sheffield Hallam University’ in 1999. Alan has gained a wealth of experience working within the NHS MSK departments within several hospitals, although Alan has worked at LTHTR since 2003 and he is currently Team Lead Physiotherapist for CDH MSK Department. Alan is qualified to deliver Acupuncture and Injection therapy.
Linda McCullough
Linda graduated with a degree in Physiotherapy from ‘The University of Central Lancashire’ in 2007. Since then she has worked in both the NHS and the private sector. Firstly she completed her junior training in East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust and at the University Hospital Limerick in Ireland. Following this she decided to specialise in musculoskeletal physiotherapy at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals. She has completed a number of courses in this area and is qualified in acupuncture and pilates. She is currently the team lead for the musculoskeletal outpatient department at Royal Preston Hospital. She enjoys managing a team of caring, knowledgeable and dedicated physiotherapists as well as treating patients with a variety of musculoskeletal injuries.
Marie Street
Marie graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University in 2006 with BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy after completion of BSc (Hons) Biology in 2003 at The University of Chester. Since then Marie has worked both in the NHS and private sector completing all core junior and on call training before specialising in Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy in 2009. Marie is now working as Clinical Lead in Hydrotherapy at Chorley District General Hospital, providing exceptional care for her patients both in and out of the pool. Marie is also qualified in acupuncture and Pilates.
Charlotte Young
Charlotte graduated with a first class hons degree in Physiotherapy from The University of Manchester in the year 2000. She is also currently in the process of completing a Master’s degree in Trauma and Orthopaedics: Spinal at the University of Salford. Charlotte has extensive experience in the field of musculoskeletal physiotherapy. She specialised in spinal physiotherapy several years ago and is one of two Clinical Lead Spinal Physiotherapists here at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. She works closely with the Spinal Orthopaedic Team to provide the best possible care for patients with spinal conditions. She has completed extensive training including Pilates, Acupuncture, Tai Chi and Manual Therapy.
Emma Kerr
Emma graduate from 'Manchester Metropolitan University' in 2004 with a 2:1 hons degree in Physiotherapy. Since then Emma has worked in both the NHS and private sector, in the community and with a semi-professional football club. She has worked with paediatrics in the community and with patients with neurological conditions, but has spent most of her career specialising in muscoskeletal and orthopaedic physiotherapy. Emma has a keen interest in upper limb, spine and hydrotherapy. She is also qualified in acupuncture and Pilates. Her many years of experience enable her to provide exceptional care for her patients.
- About your appointments
Your Appointments
The majority of our appointments are face to face though we do offer video and telephone consultations to many of our patients if this is your preference.
How it is arranged
Once we have received your referral, a member of the physiotherapy team will decide how soon you need to be seen and by whom. They will then pass this information to the administration team to offer you an appointment. You will receive a text message with your appointment via the Patient Portal digital letter invitation. You will need to log in to the Patient Portal to accept your appointment. If you are not able to receive your appointment via this method, a letter will be sent to your address with the appointment information. You will also receive a text message reminding you of your appointment.
What to do if you cannot make an appointment
If you need to change an appointment, please contact us on the telephone numbers below.
If you cannot make your appointment, please contact us to let us know as soon as possible so that we can rearrange your appointment. Failure to attend your appointment may lead to you being discharged from the service.
How long it will take
Your first appointment is usually between 30 minutes to one hour. Subsequent appointments are usually 20 minutes. As we run a very busy clinic, it is important that you attend your appointment on time. If you are late, you may be asked to rearrange your appointment.
What it will involve
We will use this time to find out a little more about you, ask you some questions about your condition and how it is affecting you, and develop a joint management plan. We may also complete a physical examination. This may include feeling the area affected, and assessing your joint movement, muscle strength, and balance.
What I need to bring
Please bring a list of your current medications.
What I need to wear
If you are being treated via video clinic or if you are attending the hospital clinic it is important that you wear, or bring with you, appropriate clothing so that we can fully observe the body part being treated if required, for example shorts or loose fitting exercise appropriate clothing/ footwear. If it is your neck, shoulder or back that is affected we may ask you to remove your shirt, this will be done in a private clinic space to protect your dignity.
How often I need to attend
The length and frequency of your treatment will depend on how you are recovering from your injury. For some operations, there are specific guidelines with timeframes and milestones to work towards in order for you to progress with your rehabilitation. We will work closely with you to ensure that you are progressing safely and achieving your goals.
Take a virtual tour of our facilities
Parking
For information for parking on either of our sites, please visit lancsteachinghospitals.nhs.uk/car-parking
- Contact us
Contact us
Telephone:
Royal Preston Hospital
Lines are open Monday – Friday (8.30-16.00) – 01772 522876
Chorley & South Ribble Hospital
Lines are open Monday – Friday (8.00-16.00) – 01257 245757
Email: Coretherapies@LTHTR.nhs.uk
Text: Please reply to your text message reminder & one of our staff members will contact you to rearrange.
Royal Preston Hospital
You can find Physiotherapy at number 6 on the hospital map here
Chorley Hospital
You can find Physiotherapy at number 18 on the hospital map here
Car Parking
For information for parking on either of our sites, please visit lancsteachinghospitals.nhs.uk/car-parking
- Your condition / operation
Please see below links to our patient information leaflets.
Avulsion fractures around the foot and ankle
Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (ALIF) (*We are currently updating this leafet - please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this might have caused)
Physiotherapy Following Adult Spinal Fusion Surgery
Posterior Lumbar Spinal Fusion
Recovery from Lumbar Spinal Surgery
Recovery from Cervical Spine Surgery (*We are currently updating this leafet - please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this might have caused)
Osteoarthritis of the knee (*We are currently updating this leafet - please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this might have caused)