At Redlands Satellite Hospital, you might notice some patients being seen ahead of others, even if they’ve only just arrived.
Rest assured; they didn’t skip the queue. This is part of making sure that patients receive the right care from the right professionals, at the right time.
Physiotherapists like Paul Stankunas play a key role in this process.
As an Emergency Physiotherapy Practitioner, Paul’s job is to assess and treat patients with musculoskeletal issues, freeing up doctors and nurses to focus on more acute medical cases.
“Our primary contact physio roles allow us to work independently of the medical team for certain injuries,” Paul said.
"Physiotherapists with specialist training can see patients with sprains, dislocations, and simple fractures, do a full assessment, order X-rays, and even administer basic pain relief.”
This means that if you’ve dislocated a finger, you could be fast-tracked to see a physio rather than waiting behind more severe cases, or someone with the flu or a stomach bug.
Emergency Physiotherapy Practitioners work closely with medical staff to identify patients who can benefit from this approach, so that those with less complex injuries are treated quickly and efficiently.
“This model of care helps keep the emergency department flowing,” Paul said. "A model of care is how healthcare is set up to help patients get the right treatment form the right professionals at the right time so by handling minor injuries, we allow the medical team to focus on other cases, like medical conditions that need immediate attention.
"We have a great Allied Health team at Redland Hospital and at the Redlands Satellite Hospital and we work closely with other medical professions to help get people back on their feet."
