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Disablement Services Centre

This service offers expert specialist knowledge and advice in all areas of prosthetics, orthotics, wheelchairs, complex seating systems and environmental controls to patients, their carers and staff.

The service aims to:

  • Provide expert specialist knowledge and advice in all areas of prosthetics; orthotics; wheelchairs; complex seating systems and environmental controls to patients, their carers and staff.
  • Respect all individuals regardless of their culture, religion, ethnic group, gender, age, disability or sexual orientation.
  • Help patients to make informed choices regarding their care.
  • Promote rehabilitation and independence through interdisciplinary team working
  • Participate in the planning, organisation and presentation of educational programmes relating to all DSC services.
  • Demonstrate a commitment to ongoing professional, educational and personal development.
  • Work with primary and secondary care colleagues and service users to provide the highest standard of intervention for patients, their families and carers.
  • Ensure the dignity, autonomy and privacy of the patient and carer, respecting and supporting a patient’s choice regarding their needs within all settings.

Who this Service is for

The service offers improvement to mobility and quality of life of individuals and groups in society who have a physical, sensory, intellectual, mental, medical, emotional or social impairment or disability or, more often a combination of these factors. The Wheelchair Assessment Centre (WAC) provides specialist wheelchair assessment, prescription and advice to people with severe mobility problems. The prosthetic and orthotic service is provided to people of all ages who need a prosthesis or orthosis to maintain mobility. Environmental control systems can provide a degree of independence for people with severe disabilities.

Location

This service is based at Julian Hospital, Norwich

Wheelchair Service

  • Clinics – The majority of patients are assessed in clinic at the DSC. A range of clinics are provided and depending on the complexity of the mobility problem the appropriate skill mix of staff are available
  • Special Seating Clinic – Expert technical support is provided by an external contractor to work in collaboration with senior therapy staff and a rehabilitation engineer. This clinic is provided for clients who have been assessed as needing customised seating. Home visit assessments are carried out on occasions when it is not possible for a patient to travel to clinic or when an environmental assessment is required as part of the intervention.

Prosthetic Service

  • Provided on a clinic basis. A daily clinic is run at the DSC Norwich. Satellite clinics operate at King’s Lynn once a fortnight and Ipswich once a week.

Orthotic service

  • Provided on a clinic basis at Norwich DSC once a fortnight and the Colman Hospital once a month.

Environmental Control Systems

  • Assessments carried out on a domiciliary basis by the Consultant in Rehabilitation Medicine based at the DSC.

How to Find Us

Sources of Referral

Wheelchair Service Provision • Health care professionals. • Re-referrals from the patient/carer • Referrals are screened and prioritised according to need and placed on waiting lists – currently patients are seen within 18 weeks. • Wheelchairs are only provided to patients with long term mobility needs Prosthetics Service • Consultant surgeons both before and following amputation. • A small number of patients are born with congenital abnormalities and are referred by paediatricians Orthotics and Environmental Controls • GPs • Therapists • Norfolk Specialist Rehabilitation Services.

Referral Contact Number

01603 216956 or 216957 Fax: 01603 216969

Hours of Service

The DSC is open from 8.30am to 4.00 pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holiday)

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