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You are seen by a clinician of Dorset Musculoskeletal Services after your GP has referred you.
Your GP will have assessed your problem and made this referral by either a letter to us, or electronically via the 'Choose & Book' system. This gives you the opportunity to choose an appointment via your own computer, (if you have one) or by telephone. Sometimes this can be done at the doctor's surgery. Usually the earliest appointments will be offered to you.
Once the referral is received and you have been allocated an appointment, these details will be sent to your home address along with an information leaflet about the service.
You will then know your appointment time and location.
To prepare for your appointment, the following 10 helpful points can make assessment and examination much easier which helps in reaching a correct diagnosis.
Your appointment may take up to 30 minutes.
A full history will be taken and detailed examination will be carried out by a practitioner. Any concerns you may have can be addressed and discussed. Always feel free to ask for clarification if you have not understood what has been said.
The general procedure for an initial consultation will be as follows:
Once your problem has been properly assessed and examined, the practitioner will be able to inform you of the findings.
Any further tests and/or referrals will be arranged and clearly explained to you.
If you have been given treatment, you may be followed up as appropriate. This typically may mean having another appointment at a later date, or telephoning you to find out how things have gone.
On occasion, we may give you the opportunity to contact our service directly incase the symptoms of the same condition deteriorate or do not improve. You may then refer yourself back within the agreed period of time.
If you have been referred to another healthcare professional or for a surgical opinion, you will recieve another appointment letter directly from them.
If you are not happy about anything in the consultation please discuss this with the practitioner. We are always trying to improve and accommodate the patients we see.
Please see our complaints procedure (link will open another window) if your problem or concern has not been resolved.