FAQs

Vita Health Group is committed to safeguarding all vulnerable patients who access our services. We work together with our partner organisations to safeguard vulnerable adults and children from all forms of abuse, neglect and exploitation. In line with Care Quality Commission (CQC), Fundamental Standards 2015, people who use services will be protected from abuse, or the risk of abuse, and their human rights respected and upheld.

If you would like to bring a supportive person to your initial session, please inform administration of this in advance of your appointment.

Your therapist will explain to you on your first session the process of therapy and the treatment protocol you have been triaged for. The therapist will discuss confidentiality, our discharge and attendance policy and there will be time for you to voice any questions regarding these. You can choose to consent or decline a treatment if you so wish.

If you would like to share feedback or raise a particular issue about your treatment or care please contact us on feedback@vhg.co.uk, detailing your contact details and a summary of your feedback. One of our team will be in touch to discuss this with you.

Alternatively, you can contact the Care Quality Commission by clicking here.

Vita Health Group work together with health professionals such as your GP or Consultant. This can include sharing information about you to make sure the care you are given is the best, is right for you and meets your needs. You are able to opt out of us sharing your information. The Government has emphasised the importance of security and confidentiality in relation to personal information and has strengthened the legislation and guidance in this area, in particular through the Data Protection Act 1998. More information on how we manage your information is available here. You have the rights to access your clinical notes.

For further information about our Consent and Data Protection Policies, please visit our website www.vitahealthgroup.co.uk/privacy-policy 

We have a legal duty to keep your information confidential. We share information about you with other healthcare providers to give you the best possible care. If you would not like your information shared with your GP or other healthcare providers, please tell the person you are seeing at the IAPT service. We cannot give other organisations information without your consent, this might include housing departments, education services or your employer. This also includes if a family member contacts us on your behalf.

There might be a legal reason for us to share information about you however, for example, if a child is at risk. In such situations, we must, by law, share information with other organisations.

If you are a service user or Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise (VCSE) and would like to get involved, please Contact Us and select ‘NHS’ ‘ Mental Health Services’ and select your service area. Please proceed to complete the rest of the form. You do not need to enter an NHS number.

In the enquires free text box please let us know that you would like to be involved in our ‘ community listening groups’.

We have established a PCREF Project Team which is chaired by a member of the executive management team and have a plan in place to ensure we can implement PCREF by the outlined deadline.

We are reaching out to community partners and service users to involve them in engagement and co-production activities.

There are various elements of our existing work that will feed into our PCREF plans, they include but aren’t limited to our:

• Annual Equality Delivery System reporting
• Annual Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) and Workforce Disability Equality Standard (WDES) evaluations
• Engagement with our colleague Race Equality Network
• Partnership Liaison Officer Team engagement with local communities
• Ethnicity Champions

Vita Health Group recognises the importance of PCREF as a much needed tool to drive change in sector of health where sadly health inequalities are far too common. Vita Health Group is committed to implementing and embedding PCREF in a manned that is consistent with both its intent and spirit.

We hope to play our part in bringing about positive change.

The PCREF will support improvement in three main domains. These are listed below alongside actions well be taking within each domain.

Leadership and governance

• Nominate an executive board lead and establish governance structures, accountability and leadership across the organisation.
• Co-develop, implement and review local PCREF plans with racialised communities and your workforce.
• Identify priorities for improvement in meeting the specific legislative and regulatory requirements relating to equalities to include in local PCREF plans.
• Monitor core measures at Trust Board level on a regular basis and publish PCREF plans.

National organisational competencies

• Engage with racialised communities to identify and agree core organisational competencies.
• Agree on measurable and practical actions to co- develop in local PCREF plans.
• Ensure the whole organisation is aware of its responsibilities in implementing local PCREF plans.

Patient and carer feedback mechanism

• Ensure patient experience data is used, monitored and flowed to national data-sets to enable bench- marking, lesson-sharing and service improvement.
• Ensure outcome measures are routinely used and monitored locally, and flowed to national datasets to enable benchmarking, lesson-sharing and improvement of services.
• Agree approaches for implementing a ‘real time’ and transparent feedback loop for racialised and ethnically and culturally diverse communities.

NHS England has launched its first ever anti-racism framework: the Patient and carer race equality framework (PCREF).

This mandatory framework is for all NHS mental health trusts and mental health service providers, such as Vita Health Group, to embed. This must be completed by the end of the 2024/25 financial year.

PCREF will support Vita Health Group on our journey to becoming an actively anti-racist organisation, by ensuring that we responsibly co-produce and implement tangible and impactful actions to reduce racial inequalities within our services.

If you no longer want to access the service, please let us know and we can cancel your appointment and discharge you. Following this you can visit your GP for a new referral, should you want access our service again.

If you fail to attend your appointment or cancel with less than 48 hours’ notice twice you will be discharged back to your GP. If it is your first cancellation, an administrator will rearrange the appointment for you for a time that suits you within our service hours.

The demand on our service is very high and therefore we would appreciate if you were able to give us at least 48 hours’ notice where possible, so we are able to give the appointment slot to someone else.

If you fail to attend your appointment or cancel with less than 48 hours’ notice twice you will be discharged back to your GP.

Frequently cancelling your appointments with more than 48 hours’ notice will also lead to being discharged back to your GP.

We understand it can sometimes be unavoidable to cancel your appointment and these circumstances will always be considered if you inform us that you are unable to attend.

Please arrive in good time before your appointment to change into some suitable clothing if needed. Please bring any relevant information that you think the physiotherapist may find useful e.g. x-ray results, letters from consultants, medical reports etc. Your appointments will last up to 30 minutes so please allow enough time for your assessment and treatment.

The treatment you receive under this service is via the NHS and no payment is required for our NHS Physiotherapy service.

If you have any special requirements please notify our team at the time of booking.

If you have already booked your appointment then please call us in advance of your appointment.

If you require a chaperone please inform us in advance so that we can arrange this for you.

Monday to Thursday 8am to 8pm

Friday 8am to 4pm

Our clinic opening hours vary, so please contact us or visit our website for further information.

MCATS stands for Musculoskeletal Clinical Assessment and Treatment Service. It is provided as part of an overall Musculoskeletal Pathway and effectively screens patients so they can be seen by the right clinician/service at the right time.

MCATS services are led by Advanced Practice Physiotherapists (APP’s) who are physiotherapists working at a high level of expertise and have extended their practice and skills in musculoskeletal medicine. APPs provide a high degree of skill in assessing patients and have advanced clinical reasoning skills.

APP’s have a broad knowledge of both the conservative and surgical options that may benefit a patient in the management of their condition. This enables them to have a wide-ranging discussion with the patient to help inform and advise them of the available options, most appropriate next step in their treatment, and likely outcomes.

Most Secondary Care services such as Orthopaedics, Rheumatology, and others, require Physiotherapy assessment and investigations like Blood tests, X-rays, MRI scans, Ultrasound scans before accepting referrals. Our APP’s can request the appropriate investigations where necessary and act on the findings of these to ensure that patients are seen by the right specialist/ Secondary Care service.

Within the MCATS clinics a range of peripheral joint injections can also be administered as a first line treatment option. They can also complete ultrasound scans for common peripheral joint injuries. This provides an additional level of access to these modalities of treatment without the need to make a referral into secondary care.

Patients who are referred to Secondary Care with appropriate investigations can work through the options with the Consultants at the Initial Outpatients appointment. Patients will tend to have less follow-up appointments and significantly higher conversion rates to surgery if they have attended an MCATS service before being seen in Secondary Care.

All Musculoskeletal referrals from GP’s are sent via our MCATS team. We use Choose and Book and secure NHS.NET mail systems to be able to triage referrals safely and effectively from GP’s.

This has proven to be a highly effective service aiming to get Patients on the right pathway first time. Our triage decisions are audited by our Clinical Lead and in-house Sports and Exercise Medicine Doctor who provide an added level of assurance that patients are being seen in the right place.

With growing pressures on the health system some form of referral triage is seen as an essential step to ensure patients are seen appropriately and resources are used to the maximum. Electronic screening provides this step and is a valuable resource for GP’s and Patients.

You may have agreed with your clinician at your last appointment that an onward referral to a consultant will be made should your scan confirm the suspected diagnosis, if so, this will be done for you. We will update you with the results and confirmation that the referral has been done by either post or email as agreed in your appointment.

If your clinician needs to discuss the results with you prior to agreeing your ongoing management plan, as arranged in your last appointment this will be done over the telephone or by email.

Your clinician may suggest a face to face follow up appointment to discuss your results and ongoing management plan, in which case our Administration Team will contact you to book this.

We endeavour to process scan results within 10 working days from when we receive the report. Sometimes this may take longer as we deal with all results on clinical priority and request that you consider this before contacting us.

Recovering from injury often requires rehabilitation exercises that are gradually progressed over a number of weeks. Group Exercises Classes are small rehabilitation groups that are specifically designed to deal with common injuries or conditions that patients experience. When supplemented with at home exercises the vast majority of MSK conditions respond very well to consistent and progressive exercises over 12 weeks. Group Exercise Classes are a safe and effective way to help patients recover and get consistent support to learn suitable exercises and progressions for the first six weeks. Exercising in a group environment i.e with other people with the same or similar condition provides:

• Exercises which are specific to a patient’s condition
• Exercises set at the right intensity for an individual
• A Physiotherapist on hand to field any questions or concerns
• Encouragement and support from other patients in a similar situation
• Education about specific conditions, managing symptoms and the benefits of exercising
• The overall physical and psychological benefits of being more active

The exercises in a class are prescribed and performed for various reasons including strengthening muscles, improving the cardiovascular system, and developing or maintaining physical skills like balance. Our physiotherapists are experts in prescribing the right exercises to resolve various problems e.g., low back pain, early osteoarthritis etc.

What is involved?

• 1 class per week over a 6-week period led by one of our physiotherapists
• Each class will last 1 hour but everyone tends to start at slightly different levels
• Over the 6 weeks, the exercise will gradually increase but we will help you pace this What is involved?

Group Exercise Classes are delivered on a rolling program so patients can access them at any time. All we ask if for patients to be able to commit to a regular time every week to benefit from the classes.

• Physio-Direct is a telephone service to provide early advice and management for people with musculoskeletal problems
• Patients would receive earlier intervention dismissing any clinical red flags (i.e., whether they require urgent medical attention) and assessing the individual’s psychosocial response to their MSK injury.
• By tackling MSK problems earlier on, the likelihood of them becoming long lasting is reduced. Accessing intervention at the earliest point will allow self-management and treatment to begin efficiently and reduce the likelihood of progression from an acute to a chronic problem.
• This earlier intervention aims to improve overall health and well-being.

To ensure you are given sufficient time in your appointment for your treatment, if you arrive more than 10 minutes late you may be asked to rebook your appointment.

Please call as soon as you know you will be unable to attend the class and any cancellations must be made at least 24 hours prior. Should you wish to cancel over the weekend or out of hours, please leave a message on our answering machine. Our cancellation policy is intended to avoid unnecessary loss of appointments, which can lead to increased waiting times:

• If you fail to attend your appointment or cancel with less than 24 hours’ notice you will be discharged back to your GP.
• Frequently cancelling your appointments with more than 24 hours’ notice will also lead to being discharged back to your GP.
• If your last appointment was over 12 weeks ago or more, we may ask you for a new referral. This is because your injury may have changed in that time, and we will need to re-assess you and create a new treatment plan for you.
• We understand it can sometimes be unavoidable to cancel your appointment and these circumstances will always be considered if you inform us that you are unable to attend.

Contact us on 020 8187 4280

Please wear suitable clothing that is appropriate for an exercise class. Gym or sportswear is probably the best clothing to wear, or something you feel comfortable in that will allow you to move freely.

Yes! To get the best results from this programme, you should be doing exercise at home on a regular basis as well. If your physiotherapist gave you some exercises to carry out before the class, continue with these. We also suggest that you add at least one of the exercises taught to you during the class. Try and create a manageable daily routine to follow.

The exercise class lead will ask you to complete a form signifying if you feel happy and able to self-manage, should you not they will arrange a time to discuss your next steps.

During the class you will carry out an average of a 30–40 minute exercise programme, including a warm up and call down. Following this will be a chance to ask any questions which can include an educational component around covering various topics from how to exercise, to knowing how to manage pain flare ups. The exercise circuit is supervised by a rehab therapist who will check that you are doing the exercises correctly and safely.

ll of the exercises have been chosen as they will work to strengthen yourself in a safe way. However, if you feel that your pain is worsening when doing the exercise class, please tell the therapist. We will be able to tell you if you are doing the exercises right or if they need to be altered.

We aim to provide you with a block of classes. However, if you cannot attend for a week, we cannot guarantee that we can offer you a further class to make up your sessions. We recommend you chose a time to start when you know you are going to be able to make the regular attendance. Most people manage well if they are able to attend all of the sessions.

The location of your appointment should be contained within the confirmation you have received. Directions to all our clinics can be found on our website.

We deliver a range of NHS services for GPs and Clinical Commissioning Groups. These services are delivered in the community and are aimed at improving patient access and achieving the best possible outcome. We see patients aged 16+. Our services are evidence-based. They are delivered by highly trained, well managed and supported staff, who regularly update their professional development in keeping with best practice guidelines.

Our contract management and monitoring are assured through dedicated Clinical and Commercial leads and true partnership working with Commissioners. We offer the following services:

• Electronic screening and referral management
• Telephone triage and advice service
• Face-to-face Physiotherapy and Rehab Therapy Services
• MCATS Service (Musculoskeletal Clinical Assessment and Treatment Service)
• Online and face-to-face Exercise Classes
• Access to extensive resources to help GP’s and Patients manage their conditions

We can only discuss your appointments with you, this includes cancelling appointments. If you are happy for someone else to manage your appointments on your behalf, then please notify either our reception team on the day of your appointment

You can contact our clinics directly:

Bromley MSK

Telephone: 020 8778 9050

Croydon MSK

Email:croydonmskenquiries@vhg.co.uk

Telephone: 020 8187 4280

Lambeth MSK

Telephone: 020 8778 9050

Wandsworth MSK

Email: vitahealthgroup.wandsworth@nhs.net

Telephone: 020 3540 7559

Please call us as soon as you know you will be unable to attend an appointment, so that it may be given to other patients. Cancellations must be made at least 24 hours’ prior to the appointment. Should you wish to cancel over the weekend or out of hours, please leave a message on our answering machine. You must contact us within one week to avoid being discharged back to your GP.

Our cancellation policy is intended to avoid unnecessary loss of appointments, which can lead to increased waiting times:

• If you fail to attend your appointment or cancel with less than 24 hours’ notice more than once you will be discharged back to your GP.
• Frequently cancelling your appointments with more than 24 hours’ notice will also lead to being discharged back to your GP.
• If your last appointment was over 12 weeks ago or more, we may ask you for a new referral. This is because your injury may have changed in that time and we will need to re-assess you and create a new treatment plan for you.
• We understand it can sometimes be unavoidable to cancel your appointment and these circumstances will always be considered if you inform us that you are unable to attend. The aim of our policy is to ensure our waiting times are kept to a minimum to benefit all of our patients.

Please call the clinic where you appointment is scheduled:

• Bromley MSK: 020 8778 9050
• Croydon MSK: 020 8187 4280
• Lambeth MSK: 020 8778 9050
• Wandsworth MSK:  020 3540 7559

The physiotherapist will take a detailed history and then undertake an examination to try to establish the nature of your symptoms.

They will then discuss their findings and work with you to implement a treatment programme that meets you individual needs. This will often include a series of exercises and other self-management advice to help you recover.

It is important that you work with your therapist to design a programme that you are going to follow as this will give you the best opportunity to achieve a positive treatment outcome.

A Triage Team will screen all Musculoskeletal (MSK) referrals

Following referral, individuals will be triaged centrally and offered an appointment at their preferred location. All details about your appointment will be sent prior to the appointment.

During your appointment a full assessment of your presenting condition will be undertaken and your therapist will work with you to design a rehab programme that meets your needs.

During the course of your treatment your progress will be monitored and the rehab programme progressed appropriately.

Advice is given to patients, supplemented with bespoke information which is despatched by email, post or SMS.

All patients referred to the class are unable to tolerate land-based exercise, it is important to maintain general physical outside of the class to aid recovery. If you have seen a clinician prior to starting the class, they would provide you with land-based exercises that you are welcome to complete at home if comfortable to do so.

The class will run for up to 45 minutes, you may be asked questions relevant to your current function on your first and last class to monitor your progress.

Please arrive at least 15 minutes before your class time to allow appropriate time to change and shower before entering the pool. When you arrive, you will be greeted by the pool reception, please let them know your name and that you have an Aquatic Therapy class with Vita Health Group, and they will sign you in. The clinicians will wait poolside to greet you for the class.

You can refer to the service in a number of ways, these can be found here:

Basildon & Brentwood

Bristol, North Somerset & South Gloucestershire

Calderdale

Derby & Derbyshire

Kent & Medway

Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland

Newcastle

Nottingham & Nottinghamshire

West Essex

All our NHS Talking Therapies services are free to anyone who is eligible for referral.

Usually, you will need to be 16 or over, registered with a GP and living within the district we serve. If you’re unsure about your eligibility just contact us and we will confirm.

You call our services directly:

Basildon & Brentwood: 01268 977 171
Bristol, North Somerset & South Gloucestershire: 0333 200 1893
Calderdale: 0333 0153 494
Kent & Medway: 0333 091 0414
Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland: 0330 094 5595
Newcastle: 0330 0534 230
West Essex: 0333 015 2966

If you no longer want to access the service, please let us know and we can cancel your appointment and discharge you. Following this you can re-refer in the future, should you want access our service again.

Don’t wait until you are feeling your worst before reaching out, or booking an appointment. We offer a range of therapies to suit different needs.

If it is your first appointment, an administrator will rearrange the appointment for you for a time that suits you within our service hours.

If you are mid treatment, we will inform your therapist that you are no longer able to attend the appointment and they will contact you to rearrange.

We will rearrange the appointment for you for a time that is suitable for both you and the service.

The demand on our service is very high and therefore we would appreciate if you were able to give us at least 48 hours’ notice where possible, so we are able to give the appointment slot to someone else.

We’re not an emergency service so we can’t help with immediate crisis situations. If you need immediate help, please contact either your GP or go to the Accident and Emergency Department of your local hospital (24hrs). Alternatively, if you’re experiencing a crisis and need a person talk things through with, you can call the Crisis Teams in your area (please refer to our keeping safe leaflet)

Your information will be transferred to us via a secure means and access will be strictly controlled.

You will not be disadvantaged by transferring to VHG.  We will place you on our waiting list according to the date your assessment was undertaken.

You will not have to undergo another assessment.  We will use the information from the assessment you had with the current provider.

Once your information has been transferred to us from your current provider we will send you an introductory letter.

If you need to cancel your appointment, you can receive a full refund of your deposit as long as you notify us at least 48 hours before your appointment date. Unfortunately, if you do not attend your appointment, the deposit will not be refunded.

For all follow-up appointments, we require a £50 deposit. You will receive a payment link for this deposit directly. The remaining balance will be collected on the day of your appointment via card payment only. For the initial consultation, full payment is required before the appointment.

You can book all appointments using the online booking link sent to you via text message. If you have any issues or concerns, please reach out to our admin team, who will be happy to help.

Your initial appointment will be a 20-minute phone call.

We strive to respond within 48 working hours after receiving your referral.

Once we receive your self-referral through our referral form, you’ll get a text message confirming that we have received your referral. This text will include a link for you to book your appointment online. You will also receive an invoice for the booking via email.

If you have any special requirements please notify our team at the time of booking.

If you have already booked your appointment then please call us in advance of your appointment.

If you require a chaperone please inform us in advance so that we can arrange this for you.

We recommend arriving at least 5 minutes before your appointment time to check in for your appointment.

For most of our clinics please check in with reception upon arrival. Exceptions noted below.

• Orpington – We are operating a self-check-in service at our Orpington clinic. Upon arrival, please check in using the I-Pad and take a seat in the waiting area. Your clinician will collect you from the waiting area at your appointment time.
• Croydon – Our Croydon clinic is set within the West Valley Hospital situated in the Interchange Building. To access the clinic, you will need to pass through building security (please allow an additional 10 munities to do this). Upon arrival, please check in at the building reception who will grant you access to the clinic.

Your Initial Appointment will last for 30-45 minutes and subsequent appointments up to 30 minutes, so please arrive on time to allow enough time for your assessment and treatment.

The physiotherapist will take a detailed history and then do an examination using a number of recognised tests to try to establish the nature of your problem. They will then begin treatment with you or advise you on the best course of action. This will often include a series of exercises or other self-management advice to help you recover. It is important that you follow this advice because our experience tells us that the patients who follow their plans generally respond better to treatment.  Read more about our Consent to Treatment policies below.

We can only accept card payments. Payment will be taken at the time of booking to confirm your appointment.

If you are coming to us through an insurance company you will need to provide the following policy details at the time of booking:

• Policy number / membership number
• Authorisation code
• What your policy excess is

We will deal with the insurance company directly on your behalf.

For any other patients then yes, your appointment will incur a fee, which will be taken at the time of booking. For details of our charges please contact our team on 0208 778 9050.

Payment is required at the time of booking. A limited number of our clinics do not have on site payment facilities. So our team will follow up with you in advance of your appointment to take payment.

Please wear suitable clothing that allows the physiotherapist to effectively examine your injury (the body part to be treated needs to be accessible). Shorts, vest top or other similar attire generally work well in the clinic.

Our clinic opening times vary, please contact us for information

Across our clinics we have appointments available from 7am to 8pm Monday to Friday.

Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays we are closed.

We are a Primary Care Musculoskeletal Outpatients Service and are therefore not equipped to deal with emergency/ urgent medical care.

If you are experiencing significant Musculoskeletal pain, please contact your GP to discuss options for pain relief. Our Physiotherapists cannot provide prescriptions for medication.

If you need urgent medical help, use the regular NHS 111 online service.

The 111 online service asks questions about your symptoms to help you get the help you need.

Call 111 if you need urgent help for a child under 5 or cannot get help online.

For life-threatening emergencies, call 999 for an ambulance.

Crystal Palace, Orpington, Mottinghan and Croydon

Please call us on 0208 778 9050 (option 1).

Lines are open 8am to 6pm Monday to Thursday. 8am to 4pm Fridays.

Wimbledon clinic

Call us on 0208 947 2053.

Lines are open 7am to 8pm Monday to Friday.

Canary Wharf

Call us on 0207 093 3499.

Lines are open 8am to 7pm Monday to Friday.

Please call 020 8778 9050 as soon as you know you will be unable to attend an appointment so it may be offered to other patients. Cancellations must be made at least 24 hours prior to the appointment. Should you wish to cancel over the weekend or out of hours, please leave a message on our answer machine or contact us here.

Cancellations without the required notice may incur a cancellation fee.

If you are coming to us through an insurance company you will need to provide the following policy details at the time of booking:

• • • Policy number / membership number
    • Authorisation code
    • What your policy excess is

We will deal with the insurance company directly on your behalf.

For any other patients then yes, your appointment will incur a fee, which will be taken at the time of booking. For details of our charges please contact our team on 0208 778 9050.

The location of your appointment should be contained within the confirmation email you have received. Directions to all of our clinics can be found on our website.

One injection of OSTENIL® PLUS can reduce pain and improves function in knee OA over 6 months.

We will ask you to stay in the waiting area for up to 30 minutes to monitor for any adverse reactions, after this you should keep the injected area clean for the rest of the day, and reduce activities of the injected body part for 5-7 days. Your clinician will provide advice specific to your situation.

This varies from person to person. On average pain will reduce for at least 6 weeks, which should allow time to slowly increase normal activities or to engage with rehabilitation.

If you are on Warfarin your INR will have to be checked within 48 hours before having the injection and then rechecked within 72 hours post injection.

If you are on Rivaroxaban, Apixaban, Dabigatran or Edoxaban we would normally ask you to stop taking the medication 12 hours before having the injection, provided that your underlying condition is stable and your GP/Consultant is agreeable for the injection to take place.

They include the following and a more detailed list can be found on the manufacturer’s information:

• Cosmetic changes including reduced skin pigment and/ or dimpling of the skin at the injection site Flushing of the face for a few hours
• Bruising at the injection site (more likely if you are on blood thinning medications)
• A temporary Increased pain (up to 2-3 days)Numbness, tingling or increased pain if a nerve has been touched by the needle
• Tendon rupture
• Slight vaginal bleeding
• Diabetic patients may notice a temporary increase in blood sugar levels and should monitor these after the injection for up to 10 days, seeking medical advice as needed
• Changes in Mood. This is more likely if you or your family have a history of psychosis
• Increased blood pressure, which is unlikely to be noticeable unless your blood pressure is currently not controlled
• Post injection joint Infection: This is very rare, one person in 10,000 may experience this. if the area that was injected becomes hot, red, swollen and very painful within 24-72 hours after the injection you should seek urgent medical attention
• Other infections: Avoid close personal contact with unwell individuals following steroid injection. For example, people with Chickenpox, measles, and tuberculosis, especially if you have not had chickenpox or completed routine childhood vaccinations
• Anaphylaxis, which is a life-threatening allergic reaction. Anaphylaxis is extremely rare in response to injected steroids or local anaesthetic. You will be asked to wait for up to 30 minutes after the injection to ensure you do not have any immediate adverse reaction to the injection

You will be asked to wait for 30 minutes after the injection to ensure there is no allergic reaction to the drugs.

Yes, if you:

• Have an infection on your skin or anywhere else in your body Are allergic to Lidocaine (local anaesthetic) or steroids
• Feel unwell
• Are due to have surgery in the area in the next 6 months Are pregnant or breast-feeding
• Have a replacement joint at the injection site
• Are under 18
• Have poorly controlled diabetes and/or hypertension
• Do not want the injection

Your clinician will discuss these factors with you when deciding whether it is safe for you to have the injection.

You can, and that may be more appropriate for some people. However, taking regular pain-relieving medications for a weeks or months may cause side effects, and therefore a steroid injection can be preferred.

The injection delivers steroid medication directly to the site of pain, which is usually more effective, and has less side effects than taking steroid tablets. The injection should reduce pain for least 6 weeks and allow you to slowly return to your normal activities or to engage with a period of rehabilitation.

No, these medications are called anabolic steroids which mimic the effect of the male sex hormone testosterone.

A medicine which can help relieve inflammation (swelling) and pain. It is sometimes called steroid for short.

Some people will need a phone or face – face follow up appointment, others will be able to manage independently without follow up appointment. You can discuss the most appropriate next steps with your clinician.

This will depend on severity of your symptoms and effects of the first injection. However, there are no specific limits on the amount of injections.

You will probably not notice any benefits immediately after the first injection, but you should gradually start to feel less pain and stiffness over the next few weeks. The improvement in your symptoms is likely to persist for several months, depending on the progression of the degenerative change in the joint being treated.

When the effects of your OSTENIL® injections begin to wear off, you can safely choose to have another injection if your clinician agrees it is appropriate.

You should expect to feel some pain during the procedure. All efforts will be made to minimise discomfort. Whilst the area that is going to be injected can remain sore for the next 48 hours, it is usually safe to take over the counter pain relief to relieve symptoms. (Subject to your own allergies)

The skin is cleaned with antiseptic, a needle is gently put into the affected area and the solution is injected through a needle.

• Infection – if the area becomes hot, swollen and painful for more than 24hours, you should contact the clinician that injected and your GP reduction in heart rate and blood pressure, as well as
• light-headedness dizziness
• palpitations
• blurred vision
• nausea
• feeling warm or cold
• facial pallor
• excessive sweating
• fainting

You may also be asked to wait for 20 minutes following injections to ensure there is no allergic reaction to the medication.

You should avoid the injection if you:

• have an infection on your skin or anywhere else in your body any known allergies to medications to be injected
• feel unwell
• are pregnant or breastfeeding
• under 18 years old
• do not want the injection
• do not understand why you are having the injection.

A specialist physiotherapist, who has undertaken further injection training to assess and administer the injection safely.

The injection can help to reduce the irritability and severity of your symptoms to allow continued rehabilitation and conservative treatments.

Hyaluronic acid is a long polysaccharide chain, that is naturally present in the human body. It is found in the highest concentrations of fluids in the joints. OSTENIL® PLUS is an isotonic solution of highly purified hyaluronic acid, developed specifically for the treatment of osteoarthritis.

• If you think you will be late for your appointment, please call our team on 0208 778 9050 (option 1).
• If you are likely to be more than 10 minutes late, you may need to rebook your appointment as there may not be enough time to conduct a safe assessment/review.
• In order to keep our appointments running on time, if you are late to an appointment you will only be seen for the reminder of your scheduled time.

Yes, a satisfaction survey will be sent to you following the assessment.

This is completely your choice and should also depend on how much support you require. It is recommended you have a Body MOT 6–12 months to ensure any corrective or prevention measures can be put into place to reduce future musculoskeletal problems.

However, if exercise prescription is required after your assessment, it may be advised that you attend some follow-up sessions with your clinician within 3-6 months to re-assess and progress your programme.

The clinician will provide a comprehensive report including your assessment findings and an analysis of these results. They will discuss these with you and give you realistic advice, recommendations and a bespoke exercise programme on how to address any areas requiring attention.

No, this is purely as assessment of your function. Treatment such as an exercise programme is likely to be provided to support you with any problem areas such as weakness or reduced mobility/flexibility. We will signpost appropriately to one of our Physiotherapists or Massage Therapists if we deem necessary.

Please check with the clinic when booking for latest prices.

We currently have slots open all day on a Wednesday, from 0900 to 1700. However, should you have any other specific time requirements, please reach out and we will do our best to assist you.

The Body MOTs are run by our Rehabilitation Specialists who all have a degree in Sports Rehabilitation and are accredited by BASRaT (governing body). These clinicians work closely alongside our Physiotherapists within the service.

These will take place at our Crystal Palace clinic.

Please wear loose, comfortable clothes that are appropriate to exercise in. Bring a water bottle and small towel with you.

The Body MOT assessment may put you through your paces but it will be tailored to the individual and any symptoms will be taken into account to minimise adverse effects. It is likely you may feel some muscle soreness following your assessment; please note that this is completely normal and will reduce within a couple of days. If these symptoms persist, please contact your clinician who will be able to support you further.

The Body MOT is a bespoke 60-minute assessment of strength, flexibility, balance and overall general function. The tests chosen will be dependent on the individual. This is not an assessment of symptoms or pain with the goal to diagnose. Instead, it includes testing to demonstrate opportunities for improved function in individuals and injury prevention. The Body MOT aims to help support individuals with their goals, whether that may be to run a marathon, improve general fitness and/or strength or just to help make activities of daily living easier.

Testing can include:

• Blood pressure & heart rate
• Functional Movement Screening (testing movement patterns requiring mobility, stability and strength)
• Strength Testing
• Range of Motion Testing
• Balance Testing
• Running/Gait Analysis on request
• BMI on request

Please call us as soon as you know that you will be unable to attend an appointment so it may be offered to other patients.  Cancellations must be made at least 24 hours prior to the appointment.

Many conditions can be treated with good recovery without requiring a Consultant referral or further investigations; however, if onward referral is the most clinically appropriate treatment pathway for you, then we will facilitate this via your GP. Your Orthopaedic Physiotherapist will write a letter to your GP with a summary of their findings and any referral recommendations, to assist with further management options.  If you are already under the care of an Orthopaedic Consultant, we can also liaise with them where clinically indicated.

If Physiotherapy is more appropriate for your condition, then treatment through education, exercises, manual therapy, and self-management techniques may be provided. Follow-up sessions lasting 30 minutes can be booked if your Orthopaedic Physiotherapist identifies that a review session/s would be appropriate to support you.

It would be helpful if you can bring any reports from prior investigations, or clinical letters regarding your condition.  If you take any medication, a list of these will always be useful.  It would also be a good idea to wear loose, comfortable clothing that will also allow for ease of observation of the affected area too.

Your Orthopaedic Physiotherapist will conduct a comprehensive assessment of your problem, lasting up to 45 minutes.  This will entail a series of questions relating to your general health, lifestyle, and in particular, your specific symptoms and history of management to date.  This is normally followed by a series of physical tests, to guide your diagnosis and management plan options.

This service is available at our Wimbledon clinic and our Mottingham clinic.

Our Orthopaedic Physiotherapists are very experienced and have undergone specific additional training around medical imaging (IRMER training) and orthopaedic surgical options.  They are also trained to recognise which conditions may not respond to Physiotherapy and those that may benefit from a review from an Orthopaedic Consultant to discuss further management options including further investigations or surgery.

• Any patients who have been recommended or are considering whether they may need orthopaedic surgery. This may include operations like joint replacements, arthroscopy (keyhole surgery) or spinal surgery.
• Any patients who have been recommended or are considering whether diagnostic imaging or further investigations may be indicated for their musculoskeletal pain. This may include x-ray, ultrasound, MRI, injections, shockwave therapy or nerve conduction tests.
• Any patients where there is a consideration around whether further interventions may be clinically appropriate e.g., steroid injections, shockwave therapy.

Applicants can either be a PWP with at least 2 years’ post qualifying experience, a mental health professional with a core profession or a mental health professional that can produce a KSA portfolio based on a minimum of 4 years’ total relevant training in CBT

Check if you have a core profession here.

Check what a KSA portfolio entails here.

The roles are usually hybrid working. You would have a mixture of face to face and remote university learning, work in the service area and remote work too. You would need to be able to attend clinics in your chosen area. Occasionally we have completely remote roles, it depends on the service area and the university course. The adverts will state what the expectation is for face to face and remote working.

As the recruitment for each university course is managed by a different service and university, you would need to apply separately for the service area you are interested in when the adverts are published.

Each university has different expectations for this. Some require you to have your portfolio completed by interview date, others don’t require this until your start date. If the information around this is not on the advert, please contact us for further information.

The roles are usually advertised in May/June time for a September start, and then October/November time for a February/March start. The number of roles available for each cohort varies. Occasionally there is a January intake.

Each recruitment drive is different so Universities may differ from time to time. Courses are typically for one-year full-time with one teaching day per week at the University, one study day per week and three days per week in service. This can be a mixture of remote and face-to-face working so you must be able to attend both the University and service areas.

We have established links with universities across the country and previous trainees have attended courses in the following areas:

• University of Hertfordshire
• University of Nottingham
• University of Sheffield
• University of Exeter
• Newcastle University
• University of East Anglia
• Coventry University

For all our employed roles we will provide all IT equipment and software necessary for you to carry out your role. For any of our Network/self employed roles we provide a link to log in to our platforms online but do not provide any IT equipment or software.

For the majority of our roles we cannot offer placements, and for those that we do, these would only be clinical placements for students that are already undertaking the required course for the role or as part of an NHS  rotation.

We can only accept applications from candidates that live in the UK full time.

Sometimes we need to close adverts early as we’ve received a very high level of applications. All candidates that have incomplete applications will be emailed to make them aware of this. We won’t be able to consider any further applications once the role has closed as there are already a large volume to consider.

We are always more than happy to answer questions that aren’t covered by the job advert and attached job description. Please email recruitment@vhg.co.uk with your questions and we will pass this onto the best person to deal with these.

Training to become a PWP is a great start to a career in mental health. You can find out more information on our Trainee PWP page.

We do offer our network roles including Counsellors and CBT therapists. You can email joinournetwork@vhg.co.uk for more information.

You can email recruitment@vhg.co.uk and we can amend your application error.

You can email your documents to recruitment@vhg.co.uk if they do not attach to your application. Alternatively, please email us, and we can check them for you.

You can view and apply for all our current vacancies on our careers site: https://careerssearch.vhg.co.uk/

We are unable to accept prospective CVs via email. We encourage you to view our current vacancies and make an application on our careers site: https://careerssearch.vhg.co.uk/