Opcare

Roehampton

Tel: 0208 487 6045

Douglas Bader Rehabilitation Centre
Queen Mary’s Hospital
Roehampton Lane
Roehampton
London
SW15 5PN

Tel: 0208 487 6045/6046

Web: www.wandsworth-pct.nhs.uk

 

transport and hospital facilities

 

Opening Times

Monday - Friday: 08.00-4.00pm

 

Latest News

10.06.2010 ISPO report

From 10^th-15^th May, 8 staff from Roehampton Rehabilitation Centre (Physios: Kate Lancaster and Maggie Uden; Prosthetists: Tom Wickerson, John Sullivan, Nick Hillsdon, Sarah Mulroy and Elaine Neville; and OT: Fiona Carnegie) were fortunate enough to be able to attend the ISPO World Congress and Reha-Technik World Trade Conference in Leipzig, Germany.

1,000 experts from more than 50 countries held lectures as part of the ISPO World Congress. The programme included 10 keynote speakers, 25 instructional courses, 40 symposiums, 220 free papers, 50 reports in an open forum and 240 poster presentations.

The conference covered a wide range of topics relating to both prosthetics and orthotics. It also covered general rehabilitation technology, specific rehabilitation after amputation, gait training and physiotherapy for amputees. There were many sessions covering biomechanics of the body and of prosthetics and orthotics, including some insight into new developments and theories of products and where prosthetics and orthotics may go in the future. There were also several topics and presentations covering sports medicine which included a special para-olympic sports day at the end of the conference.

Running alongside the ISPO World Congress was the Orthopadie and Reha-Technik Exhibition. Over 500 exhibitors showcased their latest products and services over the last 4 days of the conference. This allowed us the perfect opportunity to see brand new componentry and techniques, watch demonstrations and be able to speak to product specialists from the various companies.

It was a great educational and social event for the Roehamptom team and was invaluable for meeting with other health professionals from both the UK and Internationally.

 

05.05.2010: New thermoformer arrived

Our new thermoforming machine has arrived and is currently being tested. New sockets will be produced using this technique in the near future. The thermoformer is a fully automated, socket forming machine that will help us produce high quality plastic sockets with a consistent finish. This process should result in faster manufacturing times and less appointments for the patient.

 

Upcoming Events

September 2010: Andrew and Tom, along with members of the Limbless Association will be climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to help raise money for the Limbless Association. Their donation pages can be found at:

www.justgiving.com/andrewskilimanjarochallenge for Andrew and

www.justgiving.com/tomskilimanjarochallenge for Tom

 

Centre Information

Queen Mary's Hospital was founded as a place for amputee rehabilitation in 1915 by Mary Eleanor Gwynne Halford. Throughout the two world wars the hospital grew in reputation around the world. By 1922, the hospital had started admitting limb patients other than war casualties, like rail employees and congenitally deformed children. In November 2006, the new QMH was opened by His Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester.

The prosthetic services in Roehampton look after over 2,500 patients with a prosthetic staff consisting of 11 prosthetists and 16 technicians. Working along side is a team of highly experienced staff made up of doctors, nurses, psychiatrists, social workers, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and administrators. Also based in the department is the Vitalli clinic, walking school/therapy gym, rehabilitation gym, gait lab and the Gwynne Halford ward, a dedicated ward for up to 12 individuals to stay during their prosthetic rehabilitation. All our multi disciplinary team members boast a wealth of experience in dealing with all aspects of the rehabilitation of the amputee. We have a clinical specialist in upper limb prosthetics and QMH is used for the above knee osseointegration pilot study program.

The service also benefits from a dedicated user group who meet once every two months to discuss the service provided. Their web site can be found at http://www.rlug.org.uk/

 

Patient feedback

It is always great to hear from patients, such as Holly and Martin:

 

Enterprising upper limb amputee, Holly Franklin, frustrated by fruitless efforts to use ordinary hair ties had resorted to cutting her hair and keeping it short until she decided to tackle the problem a different way by designing her own. These hair ties, called 1-UP Hair Ties, are designed to be used by anyone with upper limb deficiency or reduced upper limb mobility whatever the cause.

As Holly says: 'As an upper limb amputee, the 1-UP has allowed me to do a pony tail one handed and do away with fiddly, less secure hair accessories such as claws and clips.'

click here to visit her website

 

Describing his experience of wearing the new waterproof LimbLogic, Martin Stephens says:

'With my old leg I could only do about 5 minutes exercise before I could feel sweating and more movement, with the new LimbLogic I put my leg on in the morning, do an hour at the gym, spend my day doing whatever, go for an hours cycle in the evening and still don't take my leg off till I go to bed. I am so much more comfortable in what seems every situation and that is only after a week, I can honestly say this feels like the start of me getting my life back.'