Fracture care team
What we do
The Fracture Care Team consists of orthopaedic doctors and physiotherapists. They review orthopaedic cases that are referred from the emergency department (ED) or urgent care centre.
The clinicians review patient x-rays and medical notes together to decide on the most appropriate management for a specific injury. The physiotherapists will then contact the patient within 72 hours of them receiving the referral to discuss their condition and ongoing management plan.
After this review, the condition can be managed with one of the following:
- booked into a specialty orthopaedic clinic
- advanced physiotherapy practitioner review clinic
- referred to physiotherapy or hand therapy
- self-management
We have information leaflets with exercises, a rehabilitation plan and details of expected healing times for the fracture or soft tissue injury.
Location
Second floor, Hambleden Wing, King’s College Hospital, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 9RS
Contact Details
- Main Reception: +44 (0)20 3299 4041
Conditions we treat
Our Fracture Care Team sees patients with the following conditions:
Upper limb
- Fractures within the shoulder, clavicle (collar bone), arm, wrist, hand or fingers
- Dislocations of the shoulder, elbow or fingers
- Acute traumatic soft tissue injury requiring urgent orthopaedic review
Lower limb
- Fractures to the knee or patella (knee cap), ankle, foot or toes
- Dislocations of the patella or toes
- Acute traumatic soft tissue injury requiring urgent orthopaedic review
Exclusion criteria
- Open fracture
- Unstable fracture
- Nerve or blood vessel injury
- Under 16 years of age
- No fixed abode or in prison
- No access to telephone
- Patients with safeguarding concerns or memory impairment
If the patient falls under criteria 1 to 3 they should be discussed with the orthopaedic team regarding appropriate onwards management.
If the patient falls under criteria 4 to 7 then they do not require a virtual fracture clinic referral and would instead be booked into fracture clinic.
What is required before referring a patient
Before referring a patient, please ensure the following:
- the patient does not fit any of the exclusion criteria
- it is an acute injury, not a degenerative condition, as per the conditions we treat
- supply all of the relevant investigations such as x-rays or other scan results
- if an x-ray has been completed elsewhere, please inform us of the location
- supply detailed information about how the injury was sustained and the current management – this information will provide the basis of virtual review
Booking a patient at King’s
GPs should refer via NHS e-referral (e-RS) wherever possible.
Other ways to refer
Routine Referrals
GPs should use NHS e-referral.
Emergency Referrals
Referrals made out of hours will be addressed during clinic hours. Internal referrals should be completed via EPR. For external referrals, email the completed referral form to [email protected]
Referral forms
| Title | File Size | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Fracture Clinic Referral Form | 108 KB |