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What Are Virtual Consultations?

Hi, I’m Chantal and I’m a Physiotherapist working for Sussex MSK Partnership. During the initial stages of the Coronavirus pandemic, we had to drastically reduce our services so that our clinicians could be redeployed to help in more critical areas. As lockdown has eased, we have begun to reopen our MSK services, but they are operating differently.

To protect our patients and staff, the majority of our appointments will be by telephone, or video call.

Can you still diagnosis and treat me?

Absolutely! Your clinician will ask you lots of questions about your symptoms, what provokes them and calms them down, how they affect you day-to-day, and what being better looks like to you. This is what we would normally do in our face-to-face appointments. From this, we can diagnosis and help treat your symptoms.

This might involve rehab, signposting, or simply answering questions that you have about your problem, and educating you on ways to help yourself.

Are there any face-to-face appointments?

In some circumstances we will invite patients into the department after their initial virtual consultation, but only when there is a clear clinical need.

If you do come into the department, we are operating differently and will be wearing Personal Protective Equipment, or PPE. This is to protect our patients and staff and prevent any further transmission of the virus.

When will things get back to normal?

At this stage, we don’t quite know what our new normal will look like long term. However, we continue to be guided by government advice and will keep you informed of any changes to our service.

What are the benefits of virtual appointments?

We can provide the same high standard of care without disrupting your daily routine. Just think – no need to worry about travel time, parking spaces or public transport. We can support you from the comfort of your own home or at work.

What do I need for virtual appointments?

For phone appointments, all you need is a phone – mobile or landline.

For video calls, you need a smartphone, tablet, laptop or PC with a camera. We’ll send you a link before your appointment. Click on the link and the consultation will open – no extra software is needed.

I hope this has explained our new way of working. Remember you can always visit our website and explore our “Self Care” section at www.sussexmskpartnershipcentral.co.uk

Finally, we would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our patients for your flexibility and understanding, and we look forward to hearing from you in the future.

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