Joint School

What we do

Joint School is a service specifically for people who are about to undergo a hip or knee replacement. It focuses on patient education and lets you know what to expect through the various steps you will experience, from preparing for admission through to recovery at home.

You should have been provided with an appointment for Joint School when you were placed on the waiting list for your operation. If you were not, please contact the Outpatients Department at Clatterbridge Hospital by calling the hospital switchboard on 0151 334 4000. We will be able to provide you with an appointment that is convenient for you.

What happens

In order to ensure that you get the most from Joint School and to ensure that you have appropriate support on discharge home, it is recommended that you nominate a “buddy” to accompany you when you attend. This could be a family member or friend. They will not be expected to provide any clinical care but should be someone who you know will provide you with the emotional support and encouragement you will require during your recovery period and rehabilitation.

Joint School takes place at Clatterbridge Hospital on Wednesday afternoons. It is a group session comprising of up to 10 patients and their nominated “buddies”. A Nurse Practitioner a Physiotherapist and an Occupational Therapist give a presentation to the group. This lasts approximately 30 minutes and will give you information about:

The operation and recovery process

Anaesthetic options:

• Your admission to hospital (including the location of the wards, visiting hours and what to bring with you)
• How long you are expected to stay in hospital
• Exercises to aid your rehabilitation
• Equipment you may require to assist your recovery and how this is obtained
• Any specific preparations you may need to make at home in readiness for discharge (such as taking up loose rugs to reduce the risk of trips and falls).

There will be an opportunity to ask questions as a group at the end of the session and for those who would like to there is an opportunity to speak on a one to one basis with the Nurse Practitioner and Therapist.

We appreciate that the prospect of a joint replacement can be daunting but we hope that by providing you with relevant information prior to admission we can help to allay some of your anxieties. Providing you with this information will help to ensure that you have realistic expectations and are central to your recovery process by helping you to participate fully in your rehabilitation.