Referral to Fracture Clinic (VFC)

Referral to Fracture Clinic (VFC)

Referral to the Trauma & Orthopaedic Fracture Clinic
Following your attendance at the Emergency Department or Minor Injuries Unit, you have been referred to the Fracture Clinic.  In this clinic, a surgeon, specialising in Trauma & Orthopaedics, will assess your medical records and decide whether further treatment is appropriate. 

What will happen next?

• The initial triage of your case will occur in the ‘Virtual Fracture Clinic’, within 72 hours of your attendance at the Emergency Department or Minor Injuries Unit.  You are not required to attend the Fracture Clinic for this triage.  
• Following your Virtual Fracture Clinic review, one of the following outcomes will occur:
  • You will be sent written guidance on how to manage your recovery from your injury.
  • The Fracture Clinic Co-ordinator will contact you via telephone to discuss your injury further.
  • You will be contacted via telephone or post and offered a face-to-face appointment in the Fracture Clinic for further treatment.
  • For urgent cases, you may be asked to attend the Fracture Clinic the same or following day. 
• Please note that face-to-face appointments are offered for specific clinics, to ensure that you will be assessed by the most appropriate specialist.  As such, we cannot be flexible with your appointment time, date or location. 
• If your condition worsens, or if you have any concerns relating to your recent injury, please call your GP, 111 or 999.

What do you need to do now?

• Before leaving the Emergency Department or Minor Injuries Unit, please ensure that we have up-to-date contact details in your medical records.  You can check this with the reception staff. 
• Please follow any written or verbal guidance that you have been given from the Emergency Department clinical staff.
• Please allow up to 5 days for your Virtual Fracture Clinic outcome to be communicated with you and abstain from calling the Fracture Clinic for updates before that time. 
• Be aware that telephone calls from the hospital will be received as a withheld number.  If you do not answer a call, we are unable to leave a message or to re-attempt the call multiple times.  We will, instead, send you written advice via the post.
• The Fracture Clinic will not issue prescriptions or sick notes for patients that are not attending a face-to-face appointment.  If you require either of these then please discuss this with your GP.

Fracture Clinic Contact Details:
Fracture Clinic, Larkspur Suite
Worcestershire Royal Hospital
Charles Hastings Way
Worcester 
WR5 1DD
Tel: 01905 760259
Email: [email protected]
Working Hours: 0700 – 1500, Monday – Friday

If your symptoms or condition worsens, or if you are concerned about anything, please call your GP, 111, or 999.

Patient Experience
We know that being admitted to hospital can be a difficult and unsettling time for you and your loved ones. If you have any questions or concerns, please do speak with a member of staff on the ward or in the relevant department who will do their best to answer your questions and reassure you. 

Feedback
Feedback is really important and useful to us – it can tell us where we are working well and where improvements can be made. There are lots of ways you can share your experience with us including completing our Friends and Family Test – cards are available and can be posted on all wards, departments and clinics at our hospitals. We value your comments and feedback and thank you for taking the time to share this with us.

Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
If you have any concerns or questions about your care, we advise you to talk with the nurse in charge or the department manager in the first instance as they are best placed to answer any questions or resolve concerns quickly. If the relevant member of staff is unable to help resolve your concern, you can contact the PALS Team. We offer informal help, advice or support about any aspect of hospital services & experiences.

Our PALS team will liaise with the various departments in our hospitals on your behalf, if you feel unable to do so, to resolve your problems and where appropriate refer to outside help.

If you are still unhappy you can contact the Complaints Department, who can investigate your concerns. You can make a complaint orally, electronically or in writing and we can advise and guide you through the complaints procedure.

How to contact PALS:
Telephone Patient Services: 0300 123 1732 or via email at: [email protected]

Opening times:
The PALS telephone lines are open Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 4.00pm. Please be aware that you may need to leave a voicemail message, but we aim to return your call within one working day.

If you are unable to understand this leaflet, please communicate with a member of staff.  

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