7 replies to this topic

[physiotherapist]

I am a specialist spinal cord injury physio with experience at more than one specialist centre in both the UK and South Africa. I am currently writing a business plan to form a company in the UK which delivers specialist SCI physiotherapy as well as SCI teaching and education to people in their local communities - either in their own homes or through collaboration with other, non-specialist, community therapists, healthcare professionals and care agencies etc. I would also be able to provide access to a specialist multi-disciplinary team including a doctor, respiratory technician, occupational therapist and orthotist, if required.

What I want to know is whether this is a service that SCI'd people in the UK community would be interested in using? My feeling is that it is because when I worked for the NHS at a specialist centre, countless patients would complain that they wanted to see a physio locally on an ongoing basis but they couldn't find one with any SCI experience and people often live too far away from their specialist centre to receive ongoing treatment (even if it is available).

Please tell me your thoughts and help me with my market research!

Thank you very much.

[greybeard]

Any specialist medical input would probably be very welcomed by the SCI community.

It would help if you started your teaching with the medical professionals, not many of whom seem to have much idea about the implications of SCI or the needs of SCI patients. Good luck

[pinkcloud]

Hello wonderful physiotherapist, its a long one sorry readers but i am sooo excited to read this.

Me old workpal, too a top physio (manager at bmi healthcare/nhs physio in the community for end of life patients, helped me when no one else would/could.She did hydrotherapy with me, and got me breathing better as the intercoastal musles were cut (enough said lol) by getting frozen peas on there, she winched at the screams yet did this for me. Amazing wonderful physio person, yes we need you. So very much.

She herself had sci in the past and also worked at a rehb hosptal, the only t-spine case she had seen at the tme was t-spine tumour.

She got me walking, learning to do daily life stuff and massaged them spasm muscles with emu oil...no other nhs physio would touch me - in fact i had a few say i had 'stress' instead of t-spine giant herniated disc...nhs after care respiting on nhs ward, gave me normal non complicated lumbar discectomy dangerous exercises (oh yes they did get their dues wiith their terrible attitude)

anyway...yes please, as you may have experienced gps and surgeons dont always listen to physios no matter how great and well thought of they are - as they ignored her pre-warning letter that it wasnt just tmj she was treated, it was t-spine....a lot of gps/surgeons could be educated to the great knowledge you hold.Also so many people are sent to physio, physio cant fix whats broken and so many patients do not go back to their gp to say its not working...thus are just left...like i was by incompetant nhs physios.

In private physio you can do so very much more than in the nhs and patients could do with knowledge of this, nhs physios can be excellent - time, lack of a surgeons diagnosis,x-rays, mris makes it so much harder i am told. Because copies of mri are on disc now, some consultants are wary of giving them to patients incase they panic and mis-read medical terminology they dont understand.. understand they are around £60 a copy or there abouts?
Would you have the same abilities to get these as you wold as nhs physios, i know the consultants dont always tell us the whole picture so to speak...for their own reasons, how could you get around this do you think? Would this be extra costs to us?

I ask because i was a med sec for years (non medical just admin yet i heard all what patients really thought too scared to tell doctors/nurses as felt too shy)and these reasons put me off looking for a physio, i dont see me friend no more as shes moved hospitals and too far away.

Also insurance companies..not all accept spinal conditons to be covered (many dont know this until they are hit with the diagnosis).

I really hope you get nationwide here, we need you, not just want you great physios, and with the new every 8 hour campaign - more cars drove etc...i think sadly sci going to be on the increase.

Best wishes to you kind professional, please do keep us posted, i so think its worth a shot at it. Theres no point to all this surgery if theres no help to help us recover. At last, professionals who have the dream to make this happen

Edited by pinkcloud, 05 July 2011 - 06:00 PM.

[Tinbasher]

Fits well with the health service changes and would work well when personal budgets for health finally get going.



Tin

[Ginny]

When you're done with the UK, come on over to the US and do the same for us!

[Izziwhizzi]

Hi Physio

Please pm me when you are up and running and I'd be one of your first customers!! Even if we are miles apart and we just do a few to get my hubby up to speed on what we should be doing for better results!

I think its a brill idea! Good luck!

I x

[physiotherapist]

Thank you everyone for your responses... all very encouraging and insightful. Please keep the comments coming! It's all very useful for me and I'll be sure to keep you informed of when the company is up and running.

[physiotherapist]

Hello!

I hope you all had a good Christmas...

With the new year I am pleased to announce that the company is now operational and my website went live a couple of days ago. You can find it at www.sci-services.co.uk

Any feedback/comments/tips for promotion would be greatly appreciated and all enquiries warmly received.

Feel free to spread the word!