These are clinics for patients that have been referred by their doctor for an orthopaedic opinion on a specific concern. These clinics are usually attended by a specialist orthopaedic surgeon who will be available to advise on diagnosis and management. Often at the clinics x-rays will be taken, if not already taken, and sometimes other investigations such as ultrasound scans may be arranged.

It is best if you arrange for your General Practitioner to have any appropriate x-rays or ultrasound scans taken at an earlier date and you should bring these with you to the clinic. If you do not have x-rays, then there will be considerable delays at the clinic if we have to arrange these for you. Sometimes more sophisticated imaging is required and it is not reasonable for your GP to anticipate all the investigations we will require. None-the-less you should ask him/her if there are x-rays you might need and arrange to have these done first. GPs can ask for x-rays and ultrasounds to be done at the hospital and there is no cost to you for this. Alternatively, you can have these tests done more promptly in the private x-ray clinics but you will have to pay for them yourself.