A senior nurse who leads a virtual fracture clinic has explained the benefits of the service to patients.
Linda Blair, Senior Charge Nurse at the Royal Alexandra Hospital’s Fracture Clinic, told how telephone appointments are provided to those who don’t need to be seen in person.
The daily clinic covers a wide geographical area, taking in not only Paisley and Renfrewshire but much further afield to Iona, Mull, Rothesay, Dunoon, Oban and Millport.
Linda said it is patients from these areas who benefit most from being offered a virtual appointment as it saves them time and money and reduces the need for them to take time away from work and other responsibilities.
She said: “We cover a large geographical area and these patients in the past would have had to physically come to a fracture clinic to have a face-to-face review.
“You can imagine the inconvenience that could cause to some people, especially those who live further afield, be that from a work perspective, financial or just their time.
“So it’s a huge benefit first and foremost to the patient to not physically have to come to the fracture clinic to have their injury looked at.
“It means we can provide the same high standard of care without asking people to make long or difficult journeys.”
Within the Fracture Clinic, patients’ cases – referred by the Accident and Emergency department – will undergo an Orthopaedic opinion.
Those with injuries which can be managed in splints and/or with advice and don’t require further Orthopaedic input will be managed virtually through telephone appointments.
This also allows the service to prioritise in-person appointments for those who need them most.
However, Linda stressed that anyone who wants or feels they need to be seen face-to-face can always ask for this.
She added: “Our focus is always on what’s best for the patient.
“We’re here to make sure people get the right treatment, at the right time, in the right way, whether that’s in person or virtually.”
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde wants to increase its use of video and telephone appointments, which can make it easier and more flexible for patients to attend.
Figures have also suggested virtual consultations can reduce the number of missed outpatient appointments, with 9.6% of in-person appointments not attended in June 2024 – compared to 7.8% of those which were virtual.