Physical Disability Physiotherapy Service (PDPS) | Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust

We are a small specialist community-based service, providing physiotherapy for people with a long-term neurological disability. We are local community based service. We emphasise enabling patients and their carers to manage disability in their own environment. We work closely with third-sector organisations such as Headway Oxon, Age UK/Generation Games, local gyms and Oxsrad.

Adults over 18 years of age, registered with an Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group GP.
People with a long term neurological condition eg Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Motor Neurone Disease (MND), head injury, cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s Disease, stroke, spinal cord injury, Huntingdon’s disease, cortico-basal degeneration, or multi-system atrophy.
People newly diagnosed with a progressive neurological condition such as multiple sclerosis or motor neurone disease.

The physiotherapist assesses the person and works with them and their family/carers to develop a personalised management plan to address their goals. The intervention may be:

Physiotherapy management, advice and support to maximise independence in all activities of daily life.
Exercise and education: courses for those with multiple sclerosis (MS active) and Parkinson’s disease (PD active). These are aimed at all abilities including those who are newly diagnosed with either illness.
Spasticity and postural management to prevent secondary problems and improve comfort in bed and/or in the wheelchair.
Soft tissue contracture management e.g. hand-splinting.
Establish exercise/self-maintenance programmes and provision of home exercise programmes.
Gait assessment, correction and provision of walking aids to improve gait.
Onward referral for orthoses.
Training carers and family members in ongoing physiotherapy/exercise/activity programmes.
Support to access local exercise and leisure facilities e.g. ‘referral to exercise scheme’/swimming/health walks.

What are we unable to do:

Intervention where a rapid response is required eg chest physiotherapy.
Rehabilitation following a new neurological event eg stroke.

Our physiotherapists have extensive experience in neurology and keep up to date with evidence-based practice. We have expert knowledge and skills about:

advanced assessment of complex neurological conditions
prescribing exercise for neurological conditions
managing spasticity/post Botox intervention
managing posture and seating
splinting and managing of soft tissue contractures
manual handling for complex neurological problems

We make appointments to see patients in:

Community hospitals.
People’s own home.
Local community facilities, eg gyms or day centres such as Headway.

You can refer yourself (as can your carer), or your GP or another health care professional can make a referral. Unfortunately there is usually a waiting list of approximately 12-14 weeks.

To make a referral, you can email your local physiotherapist (see our contacts tab to find out the details for your local physiotherapist).

Professionals should complete the referral form and email to Oxfordhealth.PDPSreferral@nhs.net or PDPSreferral@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk

Contact	Area	Base	Phone	Email
Lesley Hoare	City	Abingdon Community Hospital	01865 904411	lesley.hoare@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk
Emily Buckle	South West	Didcot Community Hospital	01865 904002	Emily.buckle@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk
Sharon Lord	North	Bicester Community Hospital	01865 903692	sharon.lord@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk
Jo Preston	South East	Wallingford Community Hospital	01865 904751	jo.preston@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk
Jenny Page	North East	Bicester Community Hospital	01865 903692	jenny.page@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk
Suzanne Lewis	West	Witney Community Hospital	01865 904200	suzanne.lewis@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk
Tessa Lofthouse	South City	Wallingford Community Hospital	01865 904751	Tessa.lofthouse@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk
Helen Knott	City	East Oxford Health Centre	01865 904376	helen.knott@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk