Background

The Regional Rehabilitation Unit (RRU) at RAF Honington provides muscoloskeletal (MSK) rehabilitation services to most of East Anglia along with parts of Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire. The custom-built facility offers assessment and treatment areas, 4 fitness suites and shares the use of the Station gyms and swimming pool. This enables staff to determine the optimum combination of rehabilitation services for those referred to the RRU.

10 staff are currently employed at the RRU:

• 2 RAMC Physiotherapist Officers (OC and 2IC)
• RAF FS Exercise & Rehabilitation Instructor (QMSI/RTSA)
• Specialist Sports and Exercise Medicine Doctor
• Band 7 Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist
• Band 6 Senior Physiotherapist
• Band 6 Senior Physiotherapist (locum)
• RAF Cpl ERI
• 2 civilian ERIs (locum)
• Administration Officer
• Administration Assistant

RRU Honington provides advice to patients and referring units on management and treatment post-MSK injury. It also gives access to imaging and fast track orthopaedic surgery.

Referring Units are currently:

• ATR Bassingbourn
• DISC Chicksands
• RAF Brampton/Henlow/Wyton
• RAF Honington
• RAF Marham
• Robertson Bks
• Waterbeach
• Wimbish (dual with RRU Colchester)

Process

Patients are usually referred by their Medical Officer (MO) to the Primary Care Rehabilitation Facility (PCRF), co-located at the Unit Medical Centres. Occasionally MOs may refer directly to the RRU. Should this initial treatment be unsuccessful, then they are referred for management review at the RRU. This review is called a Multi-disciplinary Injury Assessment Clinic (MIAC) and usually involves a 45 minute consultation with the Senior Physio, Sports Med Doctor and ERI. Options include referring back to the PCRF for specific intervention, injection, imaging, fast track orthopaedic appointment or RRU course.

The course duration is 3 weeks and patients are divided into one of 3 sub-groups (spines, upper limb or lower limb injuries) of 15 . Accommodation is available at the RRU although this is on a first-com/furthest-to-travel basis. Officers, WOs and SNCOs may find accommodation in their respective messes.

Referrals should be done electronically via DMICP, giving full PMH, HPC, SH, DH, allergies, objective findings, any investigation results, any other relevant information including non-availability and up-to-date patient contact details. Incomplete referrals will be refused. Inappropriate referrals will also be refused. These include patients who have not completed a conservative PCRF regime; RAFFT/PFT/CFT failures due to non-MSK reasons (eg obesity); patients with solely medical problems (eg asthma); Acute LBP. Otherwise, all referrals will be triaged and appointments to MIAC made directly with the patient. Appointment letters will be electronically sent to the referring Medical Centre for onward distribution to patients and monitoring at Unit level to avoid DNAs.

Discipline

Patients who arrive more than 15 minutes late for any appointment will not be seen. They will be treated as having failed to attend. This may result in disciplinary action. A second occasion will result in the patient being discharged from treatment.

Patients are to be reminded that appointments are a parade and that non-attendance is a disciplinary offence. Units are reminded that patients will not be released from RRU Courses except by prior agreement from OC RRU.

Correspondence should be addressed to:

Officer Commanding
Regional Rehabilitation Unit
RAF Honington
BURY ST EDMUNDS
Suffolk
IP31 1EE

Tel: 01359 236993
Mil: 95991 6993
Fax: 01359 236990
Mil Fax: 95991 6990

Email: RRU Admin