Big hand for orthopaedic surgeon helping to provide a remote service for Western Isles patients

A Glasgow Orthopaedic surgeon, Grzegorz Sianos, is collaborating with a physiotherapist in NHS Western Isles to offer video conferencing clinics to patients.
Grzegorz Sianos specialist in hand surgery at Glasgow Royal Infirmary.Grzegorz Sianos specialist in hand surgery at Glasgow Royal Infirmary.
Grzegorz Sianos specialist in hand surgery at Glasgow Royal Infirmary.

Grzegorz, who specialises in hand surgery at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, has teamed up with Innes Morton, an extended scope practitioner at Western Isles Hospital in Stornoway, to offer this economical service to patients.

Together they are providing this new remote service that allows patients in the Western Isles to receive their initial assessments via video, in order to prevent unnecessary travel to mainland Scotland.

Grzegorz, said: “Previously, patients in the Western Isles who had specialised and complex hand problems had no other option except to travel to Glasgow for an assessment and then possibly a return journey for the procedure to be done.

“Now the initial assessment is being done by video link where I can ask questions as well as having access to the National PACS [Picture Archiving and Communications Systems] to view X-rays. We then make a decision about intervention.

“If a patient is offered surgery all pre-operative screening is done in the Western Isles.

“This new way of working has also helped improve waiting times as patients can be efficiently scheduled for their surgery and most of the diagnostic as well as non-surgical treatment solutions are to ‘on hand’.”

The project is a perfect example of how realistic medicine is striving to best support patients and how NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is at the forefront of revolutionising healthcare in Scotland.

The service was recently recognised when it scooped the Innovative Remote and Rural Services Award at the recent Digital Health and Care Awards.