Bolton Primary Care Trust

Who We Are

The Orthopaedic Clinical Assessment and Treatment Service (CATS) provides an orthopaedic consultant-led specialist service that is delivered in a community setting at Lever Chambers Centre for Health in Bolton town centre.

The service has an establishment of orthopaedic consultant surgeons, a consultant physiotherapist, advanced orthopaedic practitioners (experienced physiotherapists and podiatrists with additional specialist orthopaedic training and skills), Health Assessment Nurses and support staff.

Physiotherapists, Occupational therapists and Podiatrists specialising in Biomechanics (assessment and provision of orthotic insoles) are attached to the Orthopaedic CATS service and can deliver treatment and rehabilitation packages for patients, according to assessed need.

How the Team works

The overall aim of our service is:

To provide fast access to a Consultant led orthopaedic service, delivering specialist assessment and diagnostics tests in a community setting within a four-week period.

To deliver immediate access to treatment programmes, where possible and appropriate, within the community, in a care closer to home setting.

To provide a one-stop-shop health assessment, for those patients who potentially may need to progress on to Orthopaedic surgery or receive hospital based procedures, ensuring, where possible, that the person is fit, able and consenting to proceed to a hospital of their choice.

What do we offer?

The service provides highly specialist assessment, diagnosis, treatment plans and programmes of care for patients with an orthopaedic condition, that can be seen in a community setting. The orthopaedic CATS clinicians or the attached orthopaedic CATS therapy team will deliver any identified community-based treatment. This treatment may include such as injection therapy (intra articular injections), physiotherapy, occupational therapy or podiatric Biomechanics (assessment for and the provision of orthotic insoles). This type of community-based treatment is found to be of value for the majority of referred patients.

Following assessment by an orthopaedic CATS clinician, some patients are identified as needing hospital treatment. For example, this may be for orthopaedic surgery, such as a joint replacement. If this potential treatment plan is agreed with the patient then the attached nurses will undertake a health assessment. If all results are staisfactory, then each patient identified for hospital treament will be offered a choice of which hospital they would like to be referred to.

Following hopsital treatment, such as orthopaedic surgery, the attached CATS therapy team will deliver rehabiliation programmes, either in the person’s own home or in a community clinic.

Support to professionals

The orthpoaedic CATS service provides specialist expertise and advice to other healthcare professionals. This is provided through education and training but also by direct contact with the depatment and subsequent communication with an orthopaedic CATS clinician.

How to access the service

Referrals are made by GPs and received by the Choose and Book centre (sometimes known as the Referral, Booking and Management Service).

Patients are contacted and agree an appointment of their choice.

The service delivers appointments from 8am, Monday to Friday and delivers early evening appointments on some days.

Contacting the service

Telephone: 01204 462752