Hand therapy

Locations

Visitor Information

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Visiting

Our hand therapy team comprises occupational therapists and physiotherapists who specialise in treating people with conditions and injuries affecting the hand and wrist. Our main role is to provide outpatient care for adult and children, but we also provide an inpatient service as part of the London major trauma network.

Our hand therapy team only accepts referrals from the Trust’s plastic surgery, trauma and orthopaedics and rheumatology teams. This means that if you want to refer a patient to hand therapy you will have to refer to one of these specialities. We work closely alongside our medical and nursing colleagues to ensure you receive the right care at the right time.

Conditions and treatments

Conditions we treat

Acute wrist and hand trauma such as

  • Fractures
  • Nerve and tendons injuries
  • Joint sprains and strain

Musculoskeletal conditions such as

  • Arthritis
  • Dupuytren’s disease
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Tenosynovitis
  • Trigger finger

Find out more information about common wrist and hand conditions 

Treatments we offer

After an initial assessment, we will agree on a treatment plan and objectives with you. Treatment will include education about your injury and your expected recovery. A variety of treatment modalities may be used during your session including, but not limited to, exercises, activities, manual techniques, physical agent modalities, orthosis/splint fabrication, sensory re-education, desensitisation, oedema management, wound care, scar management and recommendation of assistive devices.

Clinics

Hand therapy at Charing Cross Hospital

Address

Ground floor
South Wing
Charing Cross Hospital
Fulham Palace Road
London W6 8RF

Hours

8.00 to 17.00, Monday, Wednesday and Friday

 

Hand therapy at St Mary’s Hospital

Address

Basement
Winston Churchill Wing
St Mary’s Hospital
Praed Street
London W2 1NY

Hours

8.00 to 17.00, Monday through Friday

EPiC (Enhanced Pathway for injuries that are closed and Complex)

Fracture clinic
Salton house
St Mary’s Hospital
Praed Street
London W2 1NY

Hours

9.00 to 12.30, Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings 

Remote consultations

Your first appointment will be face to face at either at St Mary’s Hospital or Charing Cross Hospital. Following this appointment, if this is compatible with your treatment plan, you will have a possibility to have a remote follow up appointment. A remote consultation is a real-time appointment over the telephone or using video.

Find out more on online video consultations.

Contact information

Appointment center (for all appointment related queries)

Telephone: 020 3311 0333
Email: appointments@imperial.nhs.uk

Hand therapy email (for all clinical queries)

imperial.handtherapyimperial@nhs.net (expected reply within 48 hours Monday-Friday)

Meet the team

Our hand therapists are highly specialist and very experienced. All of the members of the hand therapy team have participated in post-graduate education in order to develop the skills and expertise that is needed to work in this very specialised branch of occupational and physiotherapy.

Clinical service lead – outpatient therapies

Nicola Pugh

Clinical lead

Joelle Chalmer

Members of the team

Ana Agua, Natasha Allan, Madeleine Bason, Katia Fournier, Dr Donna Kennedy, Tamsin Lees, Pip Penn, Elise Mensah.

Patient information

When will I be seen? 

After a wrist or hand surgery or trauma

The timing will depend on the condition and the consultant request. For most patients, an appointment will be booked within three to 14 days.

For musculoskeletal conditions

We aim to seeing patients within two months of receiving the referral.

Before your appointment

Upon receiving your referral, we will attempt to contact you by telephone to offer you an appointment. If we are unable to contact, we will send an appointment by post. Please ensure we have your up-to-date contact details.

You are welcome to bring a relative, close friend or carer with you to your appointment. You are also welcome to ask for a chaperone and we will endeavour to provide one for you.

Please remember to check your appointment letter for anything specific you have been asked to take with you. In addition, it would be helpful if you could bring the following:

  • Loose fitted clothing
  • Your full address and telephone number(s)
  • Your GP’s name and address
  • A list of questions you may want to ask your therapist
  • Any instructions, medications or splints provided at previous appointments

During your appointment

Please note that we are a teaching hospital, so students may be present for some appointments. If you do not wish to have them in the room please let the therapist know and the students will be asked to step outside.

Your first hand therapy appointment will last 30 to 60 minutes. The therapist will start by asking you questions and may perform a physical assessment of your upper limb.

After your appointment

The number of hand therapy treatment sessions and type of treatment varies between patients (for example, treatments could include a series of exercises, stretches or manual therapy). You can expect to see the same therapist each time. Most patients will be given an exercise programme that we suggest they follow at home.

Get involved

We are always looking for patient expert – i.e. you to help us improve our practice, leaflets, etc. If you would like to be involved in our service, please let us know.

Patient information leaflets

Additional information

Clinical trials and research 

The team leads and participates in clinical research. Our studies investigate how best to assess and treat our patients to improve care and patient outcomes after injury or surgery.

Current projects

Co-design and evaluation of a hand therapist delivered fracture clinic; improving patient experience and outcome (April 23 – September 24)
Kennedy D, Fournier K (This work is supported by Imperial Health Charity).

Developing consensus-based competencies for advanced clinical practice (ACP) hand therapists providing first line assessment and management of closed hand fractures in the United Kingdom (UK) (May 23- May 24)
Fournier K, Kennedy D, Li, L; Lawton, G. (This work is supported by the British Association of Hand Therapists).

Further online resources


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