Virtual fracture patient infomation

Find out what to expect from your phone appointment with the virtual fracture clinic team.

Before your appointment

When you visit A&E with a suspected fracture, the team there will discuss what caused your injury, review your symptoms and usually, order scans. They will stabilise your injury – if you are found to have a fracture, you will most likely be able to go home right away.

They will ask you for a phone number and will refer details of your injury and any relevant scans to fracture specialists at the fracture clinic. The team in A&E will provide you with some information about the virtual fracture clinic team and what you can expect from your care.

Our specialist team, which includes hand and wrist surgeons and hand therapists, will review your scans and your assessment from A&E.

Your first appointment with the virtual fracture clinic team will be conducted over the phone.

The virtual fracture clinic operates on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 09.00 to 12.00. You can expect a phone call during this time on the next virtual fracture clinic day after your injury.

Ahead of your appointment, you may want to prepare a list of questions for the team. You may also want to include a family member or close friend on your phone call to help you keep track of all of the information you discuss with the team.

During your appointment

A hand and wrist surgeon and a hand therapist will review the history of your injury and any recent x-rays that have been taken. They will then call you to discuss the management of your injury.

During your phone appointment, they will discuss whether your injury will require you to visit hospital for an in-person appointment with a hand surgeon, or you may need to see the hand therapy team. They will also discuss ways in which you might be able to manage the injury yourself.

If the team determines that you will need to return to hospital to see a surgeon or the hand therapy team, your appointment will be booked during this call.

During your phone appointment, you may want to discuss how you can manage the pain and swelling that are normal symptoms after a hand or wrist injury. You may also want to discuss which basic painkillers and anti-inflammatories may help manage pain and swelling.

After your appointment

Depending on the type and severity of your injury, you may be required to attend one or more follow-up appointments in person. You will also be given an email address you can use to contact the team with any follow up questions.

We’ve found that often fractures are best managed at home. If the team determines that is the most appropriate course of action for your injury, we will offer you information and resources to support you to manage your injury. We encourage you to consult our leaflets and FAQs to learn more about your condition and how you can effectively manage your recovery.