Paediatric Orthopaedic Department
Who we are and what we do
Welcome to the paediatric orthopaedic department of NHS Lanarkshire.
Mr Alastair Murray, Miss Kim Ferguson and Miss Annabel Hayward work in conjunction with our orthopaedic practitioners, Leigh Hailstone and Jillian Barton, to provide the paediatric orthopaedic service for NHS Lanarkshire. We work closely with our colleagues in the paediatric physiotherapy and orthotic departments.
We provide regular outpatient services for paediatric orthopaedic conditions, including a weekly neonatal hip screening service and clubfoot service. Routine elective operations are performed in University Hospital Wishaw. Miss Ferguson works between University Hospital Wishaw and the Royal Hospital for Children, Glasgow and in some instances, procedures may need to be performed under her care in the Children’s Hospital.
Many patients that attend our clinics have conditions that are related to their growth. Happily, most of these will get better with time. Physiotherapy is very important in these conditions. Find out more by visiting our Lanarkshire Paediatric Physiotherapy web page.
What happens during an orthopaedic clinic appointment?
You will be assessed by a specialist who can explore and understand your problem more fully. Most commonly this will be an orthopaedic doctor, Advanced Physiotherapy Practitioner or an Advanced Podiatry Practitioner (foot/ankle problems).
The clinician will have a conversation with you then carry out a physical examination to help understand your problem better.
It is helpful if you wear loose clothing that can be easily removed if necessary.
Possible outcomes of an orthopaedic consultation may include:
- detailed advice and management plan
- undergoing further tests, for example, blood tests, x-rays, scans (not commonly required for most musculoskeletal problems)
- being referred to a different speciality, for example, physiotherapy or orthotics
- discussion about corticosteroid injection
- planning an orthopaedic operation and discussing this with you
Who refers you to orthopaedics?
You cannot self-refer to orthopaedics. Orthopaedics is often not the best place to start managing your condition. Clinicians across NHS Lanarkshire work together to organise your care as effectively as possible.
An orthopaedic referral may come from:
- GP
- Another health speciality, for example, rheumatology
- Physiotherapy, podiatry, orthotics
- Emergency Department
When you attend your GP, please give them details of all unavailability and if you would require an interpreter to be present at your appointment. The referral will be looked at by a clinician, or team of clinicians, within orthopaedics to help them understand your problem and options.
NHS Lanarkshire Orthopaedics have innovative referral management processes. These allow us to explore your problem more fully and direct you towards the most effective help and information.
We may use some or all of these options:
- Pass your referral on to a different service, for example, MSK Physiotherapy
- Send you written/electronic information about your condition to help you understand and manage it better
- Contact you by telephone/video consultation
- Put you on the waiting list for a clinic appointment
- Ask you to attend a Fracture Clinic/Virtual Fracture Clinic – for patients who have suffered recent trauma/illness or had an orthopaedic operation after trauma
Information for Referrers
Acute Referrals
For acute conditions please contact the on-call orthopaedic registrar via the University Hospital Wishaw switchboard
Outpatient Referrals
Outpatient referrals should be made via SCI as standard. Please direct them to Orthopaedics, University Hospital Wishaw. This will ensure they reach us in the most timely fashion. If they are directed to Paediatrics or Paediatric Surgery there will be a delay in the referral reaching our service. The Paediatric Orthopaedic clinics are based in University Hospital Wishaw and cover the whole of Lanarkshire.
We have an agreement with the NHS Lanarkshire MSK Paediatric Physiotherapy service that onward referral to their service may be more appropriate for certain conditions. This includes conditions related to growth such as heel pain and anterior knee pain. In these cases, we will notify both the referrer and the family.
Referral Guidelines
Below are a series of guidelines on referrals for common paediatric orthopaedic conditions. These are also available on the NHS Lanarkshire Guideline website: https://nhslguidelines.scot.nhs.uk/
Contact Details
Paediatric Orthopaedic Secretary
- Angela Scott – call 01698 361100Â extension 8701
Infant Orthopaedic Clinic
Our Infant Clinic is run by Leigh Hailstone, Orthopaedic Practitioner. Leigh has many years’ experience after training in Chelsea and Westminster. Your child may be referred to this clinic from the maternity unit or by your GP or health visitor.
Jillian Barton works with Leigh and has recently joined us from the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow where she has many years experience looking after paediatric patients.
Hip Screening Service
In NHS Lanarkshire there are several reasons why your child may be referred for hip screening. This is usually because there is history of hip dysplasia in the family, or your baby was breech in the third trimester. Another reason may be there was something picked up on the post-natal check. When you attend the hospital, it usually involves a hip ultrasound scan. We aim to see babies around 6 weeks of age.
REFERRAL Leaflet
Clubfoot Service
In NHS Lanarkshire we use the Ponseti technique to manage clubfoot. The clinic is run on a weekly basis and we aim to see new referrals within 2-3 weeks.
CLUBFOOT leaflet
Further information on clubfoot and hip dysplasia may be found on the STEPS charity website: https://www.stepsworldwide.org/
Contact Details
Paediatric Orthopaedic Secretary
- Angela Scott – 01698 361100Â extension 8701
Your Feedback – comments, concerns and complaints
NHS Lanarkshire is committed to improving the service it provides to patients and their families. We therefore want to hear from you about your experience. If you would like to tell us about this please visit our feedback page.
