Physiotherapy

We have a team of close to 100 staff including clinical specialists/ senior and staff grade physiotherapists along with physiotherapy assistants and clerical staff.

We work across a wide range of specialities within the hospital including:

Musculoskeletal Service

Inpatients – this includes orthopaedic trauma and elective surgeries; we provide rehabilitation to patients following surgery to reach their rehab goals.

Outpatients – we provide individual treatment sessions and group-based classes to patients following joint and soft tissue injuries as fractures, sporting injuries, spinal pain and hand injuries

 

Other outpatient services include:

• Lymphoedema management
• Rheumatology
• Neurology including the Multiple Sclerosis service
• Burns and Plastics
• Breast Surgery Care
• Oncology prehabilitaion and rehabilitation
• Haemophilia
• Sickle Cell Anaemia
• Care of the older person in our Robert Maybe Day Hospital
• Women’s Health

Rehabilitation Service

Inpatients

Our physiotherapy rehabilitation service across the hospital provides care in the key clinical specialities including care of the elderly, stroke, acute medicine and general acute rehabilitation. The goal is for patients to achieve their optimal physical function through exercise therapy.

 

Cardiorespiratory Service

Inpatients

The cardiorespiratory team works with inpatients throughout the hospital in critical care, cardiothoracics, surgical and medical respiratory wards. The team work on restoring a patients respiratory and mobility function.

Outpatient Pulmonary and cardiac rehabilitation 

The pulmonary and cardiac rehabilitation programmes are run in our purpose build gym – they consist of both an educational and exercise-based model to assist patients improve their cardiorespiratory function.

 

Outreach Service

Early Supported Discharge for stroke – the team supports the early and safe discharge of patients form hospital to home following a stroke. This is a multidisciplinary team that works together to achieve a patient’s rehab goals.

Active Recovery Team-  the team supports earlier discharge by providing rehabilitation in the home. This multidisciplinary team provides a holistic goals based service to patients of all ages and specialties in the hospital.

Respiratory Assessment Unit - we offer an 8-week outpatient programme of exercise and education for persons with respiratory disease whose daily activities are limited by breathlessness.

Referral information

Patients require a doctor's referral from a consultant team within the hospital to see a physiotherapist in the hospital. Referrals are clinically prioritised as either urgent or routine based on the information provided in the referral.

Your Appointment

• Please make sure to check in at reception for all your appointments.
• Please attend on time as patients are seen on a timetabled basis. If you are late, we may not be able to see you, as this can cause delays for patients who have appointments after you.
• Your physiotherapy appointment will generally be 30-40 minutes
• The physiotherapist may carry out a physical examination, so wear suitable underwear. It can be helpful to bring shorts or loose clothing.
• Please bring a list with you of any medicines you may be taking.
• Should you wish to have a virtual appointment as opposed to a face-to-face appointment this can be arranged. Just ask a member of our clerical team or your physiotherapist. Please note you will need access to the internet, and a smart device such as a smartphone, tablet or laptop to facilitate this.

Please note our cancellation / non-attendance policy

• If you fail to attend your first appointment, you will be automatically discharged.
• If you cancel an appointment or fail to attend for your appointment during your treatment you must contact us for a new appointment within two weeks or you will be discharged.
• If you are discharged from physiotherapy, another referral will be required if you need further physiotherapy.
• Cancellation of three consecutive appointments will lead to discharge from our service.

SJH Physiotherapy Research: 

We pride ourselves on supporting a strong culture of physiotherapy research and innovation, we have an active physiotherapy research and development committee within our department and staff are supported to participate in further learning such as masters’ programmes/diplomas and attend conferences.

Physiotherapy Students

The Physiotherapy Department in SH has strong links with Trinity College Dublin physiotherapy students and supervisors over 60 undergraduate and post graduate physiotherapy students on clinical practice placements annually.

 

Transition year students

Annually we run a transition year presentation to students on the work of a Physiotherapist in St James’s and provide information about a day in the life, career progression, salary etc.- please keep an eye on our website or social media platform for further information. We do facilitate transition year students as we can, you e mail us at typhysio@stjames.ie for further information.

Please find below some of our Emergency Department physiotherapy patient information leaflets:

Musculoskeletal:

Emergency Department Physiotherapy Appointment Information

Falls Prevention - Exercises and Information

Rib Fracture Advice

Managing acute knee injuries

Managing acute ankle injuries

Managing acute back pain

Managing acute neck pain

Respiratory:

Easy Breathing Booklet

Burns and Plastics:

Hand Therapy - St James's Hospital

Stroke:

Early Supported Discharge (ESD) for stroke

Breast Care:

Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforators (DIEP) Reconstruction exercises

Physiotherapy Latissimus Dorsi Flap Reconstruction excercises

Patient Information Videos:

Post-surgery exercises – all breast surgeries except breast reconstruction 1

Post-surgery exercises – all breast surgeries except breast reconstruction 2

Post Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforators (DIEP) Reconstruction exercises

Post Latissimus Dorsi Flap Reconstruction exercises

Post implant reconstruction exercises

We value your feedback

Every year in physiotherapy we see 20,000 new patients and provide 100,000 treatments. We value all patient feedback and other service users feedback greatly.

If you have attended the Physiotherapy Department as an outpatient and wish to give us feedback on your experience, please email physioreception@stjames.ie for feedback form or click here to go directly to the online feedback survey.

The physiotherapy department is located in Hospital 4. If you enter the Eircode D08E9P6 into google maps it will direct you to the department building.
Google Maps Directions