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Our outpatient physiotherapy service provides specialist community-based assessment, treatment and advice for people in East and North Hertfordshire with a range of musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions. Treatment may be provided on a one-to-one basis or in a group class setting, depending on what is most appropriate for you as a patient. We will also provide you with education and advice to support you in self-managing your condition.
Airmid App
Airmid is the new app for patients to support all your healthcare needs. Patients can take control of their own healthcare and engage with their own care team.
You can use the Airmid App to book your follow-up appointments within the musculoskeletal physiotherapy service. Click here for further details and this document covers frequently asked questions about booking online.
Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation classes are provided by the service across East and North Hertfordshire at:
- Hartham Leisure Centre, Hertford
- Stevenage Leisure Centre, Stevenage
- North Herts Leisure Centre, Letchworth
- Laura Trott Leisure Centre, Waltham Cross
- Kingsway Health Centre
- Hertford County Hospital
- The New QEII Hospital
During the classes, physiotherapists teach attendees a range of exercises at varying levels of difficulty with the aim of increasing their strength, mobility and confidence to self-manage.
- How the service is provided
- Who is eligible for the service
- What will happen at your appointment
- Useful information
- Making a referral
- Patient experience
How the service is provided
We accept referrals to the outpatient physiotherapy service from GPs and consultants in East and North Hertfordshire.
Following acceptance of a referral we will contact you to arrange an appointment at one of our clinics. You will be seen by a member of our specialist musculoskeletal physiotherapy team, who will assess your condition and discuss an appropriate treatment plan with you.
On-going treatment will be provided at an outpatient clinic.
Who is eligible for the service
Our outpatient physiotherapy service is available to patients aged eight and over, who are registered with a GP in East or North Hertfordshire.
What will happen at your appointment
At your appointment, your clinician will assess you by asking a series of questions about your presenting condition and then carrying out a physical examination.
We recommend wearing comfortable clothes that can be easily removed, as it may be necessary to partially undress as part of your assessment. If the lower half of your body is to be assessed we would suggest bringing a pair of shorts to change into. It is also helpful to bring along details of any medication you are taking.
Your appointment may last up to one hour.
Following your assessment, your clinician will discuss the findings of the examination with you and the next steps for best-managing your condition. In some cases you may be referred on to another team for further investigations.
Useful information
Leaflets
In this section you can access a range of self-management leaflets, which have been put together by our team of physiotherapists. These leaflets cover a range of common musculoskeletal complaints, and provide information about the condition, how to treat it and some suggested exercises for you to try at home.
Please feel free to download and use any of the leaflets below
- Achilles tendon
- Ankle sprain
- Knee pain
- Lower back pain
- Neck pain
- Out of plaster - ankle
- Out of plaster - wrist
- Tennis elbow
If you do use one of our leaflets and have any comments about it please let us know by emailing pals.hchs@nhs.net or by calling Patient Experience on 01707 388 036. We'd be very grateful for your input as it will help us improve and expand these resources. Thank you.
Websites
There are also many websites which provide self-management resources.
Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) have recently published "10 things you need to know about your back", which includes excellent advice and guidance about managing back pain and dispels some common myths. There is a video available to watch and all the information on the page can be downloaded and printed off as a handy information pack.
Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
Stay Active at Home - strength and balance exercises video
Worried about falling? Watch the the CSP's Stay active at home - strength and balance exercises animation, which demonstrates simple exercises you can do at home to help maintain your strength and stability. By keeping fit and well you can help reduce your risk of suffering a fall in the future.
NHS Health A to Z
Health A-Z - Muscle, Joint and Bone Disorders
Versus Arthritis
Versus Arthritis | All of us pushing to defy arthritis
Video on understanding pain and how to manage it
Affected by musculoskeletal pain? Got a spare 5 minutes? Watch this video
Understanding Pain in less than 5 minutes, and what to do about it!
Making a referral
Referrals from primary care should be sent via e-RS to Hertfordshire outpatient MSK Physio – Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust - RY4.
Patient experience
We greatly appreciate the feedback of patients who use our services.
If you would like to share your experience of our outpatient physiotherapy service, please contact our Patient Experience team either by calling 01707 388 036 or by sending an email to hct.patientexperienceteam@nhs.net
You can also complete a survey by clicking here.
Your feedback helps us to continually improve the service we provide, both to you and other patients - thank you.
Quotes from patients who have attended classes
It’s a great service. I suddenly do feel stronger physically than when I first arrived for my session. I would like to join the gym to maintain my fitness.
Whilst it’s slow progress, I feel this type of exercise is a positive move towards my personal goal.
It's helping me be more confident in pushing myself to exercise harder.
This is a popular choice through the NHS and a valued one!
