Dancers NHS Clinic

[Doing Dance 1]

I thought this was worth posting here as I gather lots are unfamiliar with this amazing service available to dancers/ dance teachers etc in England. 
 

I have personally been referred by my GP in the past and had a speedy consultation (within a few weeks), MRI (within a month), then ongoing physiotherapy & rehab.
All free!

 

Please spread the word.
 

https://www.nidms.co.uk/nhs-dance-injury-clinics#:~:text=NHS Dance Injury clinic referral,be registered with a GP.

 

The NHS Dance Injury Clinics are available at three hospitals in London, Birmingham and Bath with sports and exercise medicine (SEM) facilities and are FREE AT THE POINT OF USE.
In order to be referred to these services you must be registered with a GP.

 

The NHS Dance Injury clinics are led by an SEM consultant with experience treating dancers, alongside a dance-specialist physiotherapist.

Each clinic is able to refer to a wider multidisciplinary team including podiatrists, surgeons, dieticians and psychologists/psychiatrists.

 

The NHS Dance Injury clinics advocate for a non-surgergical treatment approach where possible, with all clinics having less than 6% surgery referral rate. 

Since the first clinic opening in 2012, across the three clinics they have seen more than 1,500 dancers. 
 

 

Edited June 8 by Doing Dance 1

[Mamaderuby]

My daughter also used this service last year, fast and free (Birmingham). Her own GP was unfamiliar with the service, she brought a print-off that is on the  nidms webpage to explain to GP. Excellent service. 

[Peanut68]

It seems much does depend on a GP being remotely interested in patients…. We went armed with print out of all the info needed to refer….might as well have been suggesting referring to go join the International Space Station!! I wonder if it comes down to individual surgery budgets for referring? 
We ended up having to go pruners Physio & private MRI scan & assessments…. Not cheap. Even trying nhs local minor injury clinic has been waste of time… ‘well ballet is stupid anyhow’ was the measure of this. Refused X-ray.

Badly healed fracture detected weeks later in the mri…. All meant a much longer road to recovery…. Sigh 

[Doing Dance 1]

On 09/06/2024 at 23:58, Peanut68 said:

It seems much does depend on a GP being remotely interested in patients…. We went armed with print out of all the info needed to refer….might as well have been suggesting referring to go join the International Space Station!! I wonder if it comes down to individual surgery budgets for referring? 
We ended up having to go pruners Physio & private MRI scan & assessments…. Not cheap. Even trying nhs local minor injury clinic has been waste of time… ‘well ballet is stupid anyhow’ was the measure of this. Refused X-ray.

Badly healed fracture detected weeks later in the mri…. All meant a much longer road to recovery…. Sigh 

Oh I’m so sorry this is so disappointing to hear particularly as (quoting NIDSM),

 

‘As an NHS patient you have the legal right to choose the most appropriate referral path, regardless of geographic location.’

 

https://www.nidms.co.uk/nhs-dance-injury-clinics#:~:text=NHS Dance Injury clinic referral,be registered with a GP.

 

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/hospitals/referrals-for-specialist-care/

 

I guess the more we spread the word the more familiar parents and in turn GPs will become. 

 

 

 

[alison]

On 09/06/2024 at 23:58, Peanut68 said:

It seems much does depend on a GP being remotely interested in patients….

 

9 hours ago, Doing Dance 1 said:

I guess the more we spread the word the more familiar parents and in turn GPs will become. 

 

I'm afraid these days it seems that interaction with GPs is becoming more collaborative and you may need to do your own research - as opposed to randomly Googling symptoms - to get the best outcome.  With the best will in the world, GP training can't cover everything - although I was quite shocked to see recently that their training might only spend one hour covering something, can't remember what (might have been menopause?), which I thought was sufficiently major to merit having a lot more time spent on it.  If you are fortunate enough to have a conscientious GP who is aware that they don't actually know everything and will actually look at significant information once they have it, so much the better - after all, I gather that GPs are supposed to spend one day a week on study (which is why you don't see them scheduled to do 5-day weeks) - but for many it may be a question of sorting the wheat from the chaff, information-wise.

[Peanut68]

Our GP’s seem to be full of Student GP’s ‘training’ on the job…. They have no agency & seem to panic poor things & then request main GP joins in….who then seem annoyed with the patient!! Just our experience…

Also, I provided absolutely everything to them about NIDMS….print outs/website address etc etc 

As I said, might as well have been asking to be sent to the moon! 

[greycat]

Following this topic, I have requested a gp referral to this service for my dd. Hopefully, we won't have to wait too long. Had no idea this service existed! 

[Peanut68]

Good luck! If you don’t get any timely assistance I would suggest if you can possibly fund it seeing a dance specialising physio at a cost. Waiting costs more in the long run in list time training/confidence/‘belonging’ to a cohort etc 

Edited June 14 by Peanut68

[greycat]

On 14/06/2024 at 14:53, greycat said:

Following this topic, I have requested a gp referral to this service for my dd. Hopefully, we won't have to wait too long. Had no idea this service existed! 

Seen within just over a week from point of GP referral. 

[Doing Dance 1]

12 hours ago, greycat said:

Seen within just over a week from point of GP referral. 

Awesome!!! 

[Peanut68]

I’d say your GP a rarity - may I politely ask roughly what your geographic location (county) is? 

Edited July 10 by Peanut68