Helping the nation stay active

With lockdown measures implemented, there are undoubtedly many of us worried about the impact that social distancing will have on our physio programmes and sport rehabilitation needs.

Staying fit and healthy is also important in keeping our immune systems working effectively, which helps the body fight infection. This includes exercise, as well as maintaining a good diet and good mental health. So, what are clinics within the Harley Street Medical Area doing to help people continue with their physio and sports rehabilitation programmes, while still protecting the health of their patients and staff?

We caught up (virtually) with the team at Isokinetic, a central London clinic specialising in sports injury treatment, orthopaedic rehabilitation and research; physiotherapy specialists Bodyset; and Fortius Clinic, which offers musculoskeletal, orthopaedic and sports medicine treatment, to find out how they’re responding.

Isokinetic
While our Isokinetic centre in Harley Street has suspended all face to face consultations, the clinic has developed a programme called Isokinetic at Home. We have a dedicated group of doctors and therapists in place, who guide users in their activities in a free ‘smart’ mode, using video and phone calls, and through a personalised sequence of exercises.

We are encouraging people to remain active remotely, until it is safe for us to meet again in our facilities. This means we can carry on caring for patients and focus on getting them back to health as quickly as possible, and keep them on track with the recovery progress. Our commitment is to continue our journey together “on remote”.

Bodyset
Bodyset took an early decision to adapt services and move them online. Patients can access our online physio services, which are designed for anyone with a need for physio, including those recovering from injuries or working to maintain physical strength. These are delivered via a private video call with a physiotherapist and offer the same assessment, diagnosis and treatment plans online as they would in-person.

Our experienced therapists have adapted to work online so even though we’re not able to treat you physically, we can provide diagnosis, treatment and management. We can also get the information we need to formulate a diagnosis simply by talking to you about your history and symptoms, exactly as we would in our clinics.

While online physio can’t completely replace everything we do in person, we’ve made sure it’s as close to it as we can possibly get. To support clients with their recovery at home, our online shop is also now open offering rehab and exercise tools for home delivery. Most major health insurers have also approved online physio, meaning clients with private medical insurance are covered for receiving online physio services with us.

Don’t just take our word for it: listen to what one of our patients, Jake, has to say about using online physio for a football-related knee injury.

Fortius Clinic
Fortius Clinic has committed its facilities, expertise and resources to formally support the NHS during the fight against Covid-19, uniting with our other private sector colleagues in a coordinated response that is unprecedented in this country.

We are proud to be providing an ambulatory orthopaedic service, in both outpatient and surgical. This will free up capacity for the NHS, so it can focus on treating more critical patients and those with Covid-19.

All other outpatient work will be carried out remotely via telemedicine, securely and confidentially, or by phone and/or video. We’re also going to take our monthly educational series online through virtual webinars, continuing to serve the needs of our physio colleagues and the medical community.

The rapidly evolving situation means that we will respond to what is required by the NHS and our entire company, consultants and staff, on an ongoing basis—and will do so with dedication and humility.