Please or to access all these features

SN children

Here are some suggested organisations that offer expert advice on special needs.

Help - anyone got insider orthotics, orthopeadic or any NHS experience?

12 replies

Blu · 16/09/2004 11:21

I am having terrible trouble with DS's orthotics service. Following a whole bundle of inefficiencies, mistakes, incompetencies and misfortunes, we are in a postion where:

Ds has grown out of his current pair of customized Piedros - he has been complaining of tightness all this week.
We are waiting for delivery of a pair of sandals (supposed to have them for summer, in addition to boots, not as an alternative)
The sandals will arrive on Sept 30th - but I know they do not fit properly - for a start they are both the same size, whereas DS's left foot is 2 sizes smaller than the right. They will be 'ok' for part-time wear during our 4 week family trip to the tropics in Oct.
A new pair of boots is destined to be ready for Nov: but I realise that the orthotist took no new mould or measurements for this pair - just said a size bigger. Usualy there are detailed height measurements, a cast of his foot for the insole etc. (last done in April) So I doubt the new boots are going to be ideal.

Today, Ds is wearing a R shoe from a pair of Clarks bought in the high st yesterday, and his customized Piedro boot on the L.

We have insisted on an emergency appt today. DS wears split size Piedros, has a specially made insole in one, and a lift.

Realistically, what is the quickest timescale they could get thse supplied and made? How could the process be speeded up (am prepared to consider anything - priavte, driving length of country to fetch boots, anything!),
and what should I say?

These boots are not just footwear, they are treatment. Without them, his foot will revert and surgery will have to be repeated.

OP posts:
Easy · 16/09/2004 11:51

Blu, can you speak to ds's Consultant's secretary? Ring her, explain that you are having these problems, can the consultant put his weight behind your requests for speedy replacement?
Otherwise, he may know how to get these supplied privately.
In my (fairly long) experience, becoming a friend of the consultant's secretary pays dividends. I always start with "I know you must be very busy, but wonder if you can help with this" and I always make sure I thank her afterwards

Blu · 16/09/2004 11:58

Easy - than you, that is a good idea. I have also spoken to the physio who works alongside the ortho - and she has given me some tips - to suggest outsourcing it to another local specialist ortho unit (Roehampton) where they do the work on-site and could therefore do it quicker.

OP posts:
luckymum · 16/09/2004 12:21

Blu - sorry to hear that you're still having problems. No advice, just sympathy - for you.

Tissy · 16/09/2004 12:46

Blu, you MUST let the Consultant know that you're having these problems, it really shouldn't take months to supply / adapt footwear. It may be that the Consultant can lean on the orthotics company for you.

ggglimpopo · 16/09/2004 13:01

Message withdrawn

Blu · 16/09/2004 13:06

Thank you, thank you - Tissy, I have spoken to the consultants secretary - and she is making an appt for us to go and speak with her next week.
ggglimpopo - that sounds fantastic! I may well ring GOSH - i know our consultan often works oin consultation with them, anyway.

Lucymum - thanks - as you can imagine I am considerably upset.

OP posts:
Blu · 16/09/2004 15:59

I'm back from appointment.

I don't know whether to laugh or burst into tears as I type this - he rummaged in a cupboard looking for any old cast off second hand boots that they might have lying around and then said 'oh, no sorry, they've all been sent to Iraq'

They will try to speed up the order of the 'November' pair. That is all they can offer.

Acting on another insider tip, I am contacting the Head of Service, who apparantly has the authority to insist that, in these circumstances, our boots do go to the front of every queue. (and she already knows about the situation, apparantly).

Totally exhausted - and will have to come back to work tonight to catch up on urgent work not done while I was out.

OP posts:
gump · 16/09/2004 16:01

sorry blu you are having such hassles, we have had similar experiences with othotics so know how you feel

not much help though!

Twiglett · 16/09/2004 16:12

message withdrawn

motherinferior · 16/09/2004 16:15

Blu, let me know if there is ANYTHING I can do. I can ring up with a Journalist head on if that is any use whatsoever.

Tissy · 16/09/2004 20:33

blu, have replied to your email, but i keep getting an error message. if you don't get it, let me know here and I'll copy and send it from hotmail

Batters · 16/09/2004 20:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page