Health service celebrates first anniversary

Company news

Aug 15, 2011

Staff at the healthcare service are celebrating the service reaching its first birthday after a busy and successful year in operation.

Since it opened a year ago, the service has received more than seven thousand patient referrals from across the county.

General Manager for the LIMSS service, Kogie Naidoo, said: "The service has greatly improved access for local people by allowing them to choose a clinic close to them at a time which is most convenient for them.

“This ensures faster diagnosis and treatment for people with musculoskeletal conditions across Lincolnshire, as well as offering a more personal service to patients such as providing motivational lifestyle advice.”

Julie Toolan, a 62-year-old nurse at the Pilgrim Hospital in Boston, was one of the first patients to experience the LIMSS service when it launched a year ago. She had started experiencing pain in her knee after a fall and the pain had progressively got worse until she could no longer drive her car. After seeing her GP, Julie was immediately referred to her local LIMSS clinic in Boston for a consultation and then for an MRI scan, which resulted in surgery at her local hospital in Spalding.

Julie said: “I was impressed by how quickly I was seen by the clinic and referred on for treatment. The whole process was a matter of weeks. I can’t thank the service enough for their excellent assessment and initial treatment on my knee. After having surgery I now feel like I have got my life back. I’d urge anyone who is struggling with a painful joint to visit their GP and ask to be referred to the LIMSS service”.

There are eight clinics in total. Five local clinics assess and treat a number of different ailments including elbow, knee and back pain, groin and hip injuries, whiplash and carpal tunnel syndrome. Three central clinics located in Lincoln, Louth and Spalding offer a wider range of services, including on-site diagnostics with X-ray, ultrasound and MRI scanning, “on the spot” physiotherapy and soft tissue and joint injections.

The service opened last year to reduce patient waiting times and bring healthcare into the county’s local communities, making it easier for people to access. Patients are referred through their GP and will be seen by a consultant-led team of physiotherapists, usually within 14 days of the initial referral.

Kogie added: “Following our first year of operation, we would like to thank our patients and referring GPs for their valuable feedback which has helped us develop the service to where we are today. Going forward, we want to continue to engage with GPs and patients alike across Lincolnshire to improve the service we offer.”

“Our clinics generally operate on a rota but services are available from different locations Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm with North Hykeham and Boston offering evening clinics and Gainsborough, North Hykeham and Louth offering clinics on Saturdays. The three central clinics which offer diagnostic services also offer MRI appointments until 8pm in the evenings providing patients with the option to be seen outside normal business hours.”

Pictured below: Julie Toolan is now able to drive, following her successful knee operation.