Why Peter Recommends the Integrated Rehabilitation Centre (IRC) for Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation

Peter’s Knee Injury

About two years ago, Peter was putting Christmas decorations back in the loft when he turned around and fell off the ladder.

The fall resulted in a significant injury—a ruptured tendon in his right knee that required surgery. Peter spent around four weeks in hospital recovering. Following surgery, he faced considerable challenges, including muscle loss, strength deficits, and difficulty walking.

Peter shared, “The injury had a big impact on my wife and me. It disrupted our lifestyle and stopped us from doing the things we enjoyed because I wasn’t mobile enough.”

“I originally had physio through the NHS, although with the limited amount of sessions, I didn’t think I was making a lot of progress. My stepdaughter, who’s a doctor, recommended the Integrated Rehabilitation Centre (IRC) at Health Sciences University (HSU), and I decided to give it a try.”

Starting Things off in the Right Direction

Peter first accessed the free phone consultation service at HSU where he was able to discuss his concerns and book an initial assessment.

The phone triage service is designed to make sure anyone seeking advice and guidance about their rehabilitation is pointed in the right direction and has a clear understanding of the options available to them.

“When I first called the IRC, I spoke to a gentleman who arranged an appointment for me straight away. It’s really helpful having that initial phone contact and being able to talk to somebody.  He was able to book me an appointment straight away.”

“When I came in, the physiotherapist who assessed me, Francesca, was very good.  The assessment process was thorough, and she then devised an initial programme which was modified and added to.  I have up to two sessions a week in the gym.  Tish, who became my main point of contact, was there to check that I knew how to use each piece of equipment properly. I could refer back to her any time if I needed to.”

At Peter’s initial assessment, baseline measures were taken of his strength using a dynamometer.  This was then retested months later after Peter had been working on his programme.  After Peter’s initial assessment with Francesca, Tish Rutherford, a sports rehabilitator at the IRC, continued to work closely with Peter.

Peter’s Progress

When Peter’s strength was retested a few months later, the results were impressive—his quadriceps strength had doubled. He described this as highly encouraging, saying,

“There was clear evidence of improvement in all areas, which cheered me up knowing that I was making progress.

“With my professional background as an OFSTED inspector, you can see progress is good.  It’s like seeing a child improve their reading age. It’s good to see.  I feel I’ve improved both mentally as well as physically.

“The figures were shown and explained to me so that I knew what they meant, and I could talk about them with my wife as well.  I could see visibly that all areas of the concerned problems were improving.

“Previously I’ve been to see a consultant who felt that nothing would improve without a further operation.  I didn’t want that.  Tish seemed to think that it wouldn’t be necessary given the improvement shown so far, and there was room for further improvement still to come.

Beyond the physical progress, Peter highlighted the mental benefits of his sessions.

“Tish and I talked a lot, which really helped to improve my mental well-being. With an injury like this, it’s debilitating and you stop from doing what you want to do. Being a pensioner in my 70’s, once you stop doing things that you want to do, it’s quite depressing.  So Tish really helped in lifting that depression, too.  I didn’t really get that with the NHS. They are too busy.  They did what they could do with the time available.”

Building Confidence for the Future

Peter said “although I will never get back to how I was before, I have improved to the point that I can now walk, and I can drive.  I now just need to improve my strength and mobility in other areas, such as using the stairs.  I look forward to the sessions, rather than thinking of them as a chore.  I like talking to the people here – the professionals as well as other people using the facilities.  It’s nice just to share with people. Whereas with the NHS, you’re on your own, really. You don’t talk to many people.”

Why Peter Recommends the Integrated Rehabilitation Centre (IRC) for Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation

Peter said “I think it was the combination of professional and personal care which impressed me the most.  And the attention to detail, as well.

Peter also praised the IRC’s caring environment.

“The IRC is excellent from reception onwards.  The level of concern and care is good the minute you step through the doors.  Everybody has always been very pleasant and helpful. There’s a cheerful greeting and a professional dealing with your situation and appointments and payments.  The environment is very appealing, and it doesn’t feel crowded.  Everything at the centre is to a high standard and the equipment is all well maintained.

“There’s a holistic approach here, although each person is treated individually, and it makes you feel more worthwhile and not just a number.

“The level of professional care has helped improve my self-respect on my path to recovery.

“Oh, and we don’t use the loft ladder any longer!”