Fracture Clinic

At the Royal Cornwall Hospitals Fracture Clinic, we care for patients who have broken their upper limb or lower limb bones or who have sustained severe soft tissue injuries.

Contact information

Fracture clinic opens 8:50am – 1:00pm Monday to Friday, and virtual fracture clinic runs every morning 6 days per week.

Fracture clinic – for advice about your injury or how it is healing

To book an open appointment within 6 months of your injury

For advice about your plaster cast

If you need to check what time your trauma operation is

Out of hours

Telephone: 01736 758909. If there’s no answer and you need urgent advice, please call NHS 111.

Where to find us

The Fracture Clinic is on the first floor of Trelawny Wing at Royal Cornwall Hospital Treliske, Truro Cornwall TR1 3LJ.

Please enter the building from the main carpark into Trelawny Wing Entrance and walk past the shop, the Fracture clinic is the first clinical area on the right situated in the main Outpatient Department. Please report to the Fracture Clinic reception on arrival.

Advice and management for your injury

Please use the boxes below to navigate to advice for your injury.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

What happens after visiting Emergency Dept (ED) or Minor Injuries Unit (MIU)?

After your injury has been assessed and treated by the Emergency Department (ED) or Minor Injuries Unit (MIU), you may be discharged directly after consultation with one of the orthopaedic team.

If this happens, we’ll give you information to help manage your injury remotely. If you feel you just want to discuss your injury face to face with someone, you will also be able to book an appointment with the fracture clinic at any time within six months of your injury.

If your injury needs reviewing, the MIU or ED may refer you to the virtual fracture clinic.

What is the Virtual Fracture Clinic?

If, you are referred to the virtual fracture clinic; within 24 to 72 hours of your attendance at ED / MIU, your notes and X-rays will be reviewed by an orthopaedic consultant (a doctor who specialises in fractures or other musculoskeletal injuries) and a nurse or physiotherapist.

We’ll then contact you by phone to confirm a plan of management and provide further information – even if we don’t think you’ll need a follow-up appointment. We’ll also send the information we discuss to you in a letter.

What if I haven’t heard from you?

If you have not heard from us within four days, or if you have any worries or concerns after your discharge from the ED or MIU, please contact the Fracture Clinic on 01872 253091. We’re open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Will I need any follow-up?

Many injuries heal well over time without any further treatment, and don’t need a face to face follow-up appointment. If we feel your injury can be discharged without a face to face follow-up, the consultant will send you a letter explaining our decision. In the six months after your injury you have what is called an ‘open appointment’ – if you are worried about your injury or how it is healing and feel you need to discuss it with someone, please call us on 01736 758892 to make a face to face appointment.

If I need an operation, what will happen?

If you need an operation, we’ll tell you and you’ll be added to our trauma surgery waiting list. 

What happens at Fracture Clinic?

You may be seen by a consultant, an orthopaedic doctor or an advanced practice physiotherapist. There is always an orthopaedic consultant present.

We’ll show you your x-ray, discuss the findings and discuss how best to manage your injury. Your management plan may or may not include surgery. We may use a plaster, boot, sling or a brace to immobilise your injury.

We make our decisions for many reasons – we’ll discuss these with you and aim to make you part of this decision.

How long will I have to wait at Fracture Clinic?

Because each of our patients have different needs, we can’t tell you how long you’ll have to wait when you attend the Fracture Clinic. It might be a long time, possibly even after midday, and we’re sorry about this. We really appreciate your patience when you attend.

Who might I meet at Fracture Clinic?

You might meet a range of different people depending on your injury, including:

  • a consultant
  • a junior doctor
  • a physiotherapist
  • a registered nurse
  • a surgeon
  • an anaesthetist
  • a diagnostic radiographer
  • a healthcare assistant

You can watch these videos to find out more about the people in our team and how they help with your care.

Where can I drop my sharps box? 

Visit the cornwall gov.uk website to find out where to drop your sharps.

Tell us about your experience at Fracture Clinic

Your feedback is really important to us.

Please ask your care team for a Friends and Family form on your departure, or you can fill it out online here. When it asks you to choose a ward, scroll down and choose Fracture Clinic.

Page last reviewed: 3 January 2024

Alert: Visiting restrictions are in place due to Norovirus

See our news article for more information.

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