Orthopaedic patient, Val Harvey, last week kicked off an NOA webinar, Elective Orthopaedic Recovery – Helping Patients Through Extended Waiting Times. Val, who is currently waiting for a knee replacement, shared her story with orthopaedic providers across the country.
Val is currently experiencing having her surgery delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. She was open and honest about her experience, and was well received by webinar panellists and attendees alike. “I know my condition isn’t life threatening, but it’s certainly life changing”, said Val. Her ask is that providers of orthopaedic care keep patients informed of their next steps as they begin to restart elective surgery. Val feels that an opportunity to discuss her deterioration and current situation with a member of her medical team during the surgery delay would have been beneficial.
The webinar also featured guest speakers from organisations including Versus Arthritis, who campaign for arthritis to be seen as a priority and ESCAPE pain, a rehabilitation programme for people with chronic joint pain – both currently provide specialised support for those needing it during the pandemic.
Jonathan Manara from NOA member organisation, North Bristol NHS Trust shared how the Trust has used the Joint School app to support and encourage prehab of their orthopaedic patients awaiting a hip or knee replacement during COVID-19.
Webinar attendee Sammy Davies from The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital said, “I enjoyed hearing the patient’s perspective during this NOA webinar, and how they are being affected at this current time. It was also really interesting to hear how trusts are using the JointSchool app to support patients unable to attend appointments.”
You can view the full recording of the webinar here and read more about NOA’s COVID-19 webinar series here.
To find out more about the NOA and how you can get involved, email info.noa@nhs.net.