The visit was sponsored by Spire Liverpool Hospital who are supporters of the Hargreaves NSPCC and all of the very valuable work they do.   Bone and Joint Consultant Mr Peter Brownson also attended the event and said ” this was a fantastic event for a very worthwhile charity and I felt  fortunate to have had the opportunity to meet HRH”.

Mr Peter Brownson meets HRH Countess of Wessex at the NSPCC’s Liverpool safe haven for children

Spire Liverpool Hospital’s Director Alison Peake with HRH

Founded by Michael Johnson, the partnership will see a new range of performance training services become available to players and athletes of all abilities at St. George’s Park, as well as bespoke residential camps designed especially for nurturing the talent of young people.

The BJC has been established as a one ‘stop service’ alongside and Spire Perform since its arrival at Spire Liverpool. Along with Sportscan diagnostic imaging these specialist services offer patients a comprehensive assessment and diagnostic rehabilitation service as well as treat a broad range of issues at all levels, from elite athletics and sporting injuries to amateur and everyday level. Working together closely, these services aim to support patients following orthopaedic surgery to get them back to their sporting best. Consultant orthopaedic knee surgeon Andrew Taylor confirms: “This concept of a ‘one-stop shop’ has now been developed further since the introduction of Perform so we are happy to see Perform grow especially in a way that encourages everyone to achieve their sporting potential”.

The Bone and Joint Centre is a partnership of senior orthopaedic surgeons, who have combined their expertise to provide a comprehensive quality orthopaedic service to both private and NHS patients. The team of highly qualified specialists, guarantee that all surgeons registered to practice at the centre only see patients from within their own area of sub-specialty giving patients piece of mind that they are seeing the right specialist.

The surgery was undertaken by Mr Mat Smith who is a specialist shoulder and elbow Orthopaedic Consultant Surgeon and has been with the Bone and Joint Centre since 2009. Mat specialises in both arthroscopic (keyhole) and open surgery of the shoulder and elbow with strong emphasis on shoulder and elbow trauma.

Mr Honeyman said “Mr Smith was excellent he explained everything to me in detail which enabled me to make my own decisions. Once I had agreed to the operation I couldn’t believe it when I was told I could come in the following Monday, I nearly fell off my chair. Unfortunately, that Monday was no good for me so the next available appointment was a fortnight after this. I couldn’t believe the speed and efficiency of everything, I was operated on within 3 weeks. Not only was the hospital efficient it was also flexible and understanding”.

Mr Smith told us “Mr Honeman had shoulder impingement for many years and eventually this lead to a rotator cuff tear. There was definite history an injury that may have caused the tear and despite his advancing years and in view of his excellent health and level of activity I felt it appropriate to repair the tendon”.

“Historically, this procedure is not carried out in this age group as some surgeons believe that repairs of the tendon don’t work on patients in this age range, however this is not our experience when using advanced contemporary repair techniques. Mr Honeyman now has a full range of movement and excellent strength and his quality of life is dramatically improved just weeks week’s post operatively”.

 Along with Spires’ bespoke intensive Perform physiotherapy service post- operative recovery is improved as every stage of the patients care can be carried out in one place. Mr Honeyman continued “the aftercare was great, I had an overnight stay and did not feel rushed to go home. The nurses were very caring and the physiotherapist Dave Cheetham was very patient and never pushed me too far. I feel I received excellent care and attention from beginning to end and as an NHS patient I didn’t feel treated differently at all”. 

Our consultant surgeons are always keen to support local talent and to date have supported a number of amateur teams such as the Grange School Ski team and the Woolton Vinci’s Football team as they believe that through encouraging youngsters to achieve their sporting potential we are investing in their future and perhaps nurturing the next generation of Olympic athletes or premiership players.

Those who attended were able to view demonstrations of clinical assessment, ultrasound and injection techniques as well as physiotherapy rehabilitation exercises, which was followed by a lively question and answer section.

The Bone and Joint Centre based at Spire Liverpool Hospital have a number of education events planned for the rest of 2013. If you would like more information about forthcoming event contact Natalie Wood at natalie.wood@spirehealthcare.com.

Dawn Hinton, education officer for the Western Branch Institute of Chiropody and Podiatry said “focus on feet excellent, the presentations and the discussion groups were especially helpful and Tanvirs’ practical chiropody session was great”.

“Everything was geared to all who attended, chiropodists like myself and physiotherapists. The facilities, catering and all staff should be praised for their contribution to such a successful evening”.

“Thank you so much for adding to my professional development”.

Focus on feet is hosted by Mr Chris Walker the Bone and Joint Centres foot and ankle orthopaedic specialist. Mr Walker said “these events are really important for education and the continued professional development of podiatrists and indeed all healthcare professionals. At the Bone and Joint Centre we take education very seriously and have developed a number of educational programmes that will be running throughout 2013 and hopefully thereafter”.

For more information about education programme contact Natalie wood at Natalie.wood@spirehealthcare.com

The night was hosted by Olympian Gymnast and BBC Presenter Craig Heap and included special guests from Merseyside who took part in London 2012; cyclist Lucy Martin,  from Judo, Marc Powell and Footballer’s Roy Turnham and Rachel Brown.

The Bone and Joint Centre sponsored the Club of the Year Award and presented the award to the winners St Helens Rugby League Football Club.   A  Gold Clubmark club for girls aged 9 – 16, St Helens Rugby League offers rugby training without the pressure to compete. The membership has increased from 8 – 44 and the club involves lots of volunteers from the local community.

Merseyside Sports Partnership (MSP) is a vibrant network of agencies committed to establishing an inclusive sports system. Together, we will improve the quality of life for the people of Merseyside by providing opportunities for:

More people…

•         to take part, and continue, in sports participation

More and improved access to…

•         quality sports clubs

•         quality coaches

•         quality volunteers

•         support for people with a sporting talent

•         quality facilities

•         celebrating success and recognising achievements

On Wednesday 31 October staff at Spire Liverpool decided to celebrate Halloween in a very creative way – by hosting a Pumpkin Carving Competition!

Staff from all over the hospital were encouraged to bring in their finest examples of Jack-O-Lanterns, with prizes for the winners.

“It started out as just a bit of fun,” one of the organisers was quoted as saying, “but everybody really got into the spirit of things! It’s things like this that really bring the staff of the hospital together and it’s a pleasure to see everybody having so much fun.”

Despite fierce competition, the winner of this prestigious event was Helen Garfield-Ford with her terrifying pumpkin entry.

We’d like to thank one of Spire Liverpool’s top orthopaedic consultants, Mr Davidson, for agreeing to act as a judge on the day. With such creative talents in the hospital, it’s a shame they couldn’t all win. Still, there’s always next year.

Following his presentation on the conservative and surgical management of meniscal tears and the acutely injured knee, Mr Taylor leads a group discussion on knee pain and when to refer.  

Mr Walker talks to guests about healing painful heels and the treatment of conditions such as plantar heel pain syndrome offering advice and tips about the treatment options available.

We are now looking forward to our next Orthopaedic Masterclass at the Liverpool Crowne Plaza on Thursday 15^th November.

Consultant speakers and their titles will be:

Mr Alasdair Santini – ‘The Sore Knee – Why Replace It All?’

Mr Dan Brown – ‘A Hand Full of Hand Conditions’