Specialist Rehabilitation (Prosthetics, Orthotics and Wheelchairs)

Specialist Rehabilitation (Prosthetics)

Dr Will Vogt, Senior Clinical Psychologist, provides a service to patients referred by Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Specialist Rehabilitation Department.

Appointments are available at Seacroft Hospital or via video consultation.

Information for Patients

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Clinical Psychology Service for Specialist Rehabilitation.

This information aims to answer some of the questions you may have about the Clinical Psychology Service in Specialist Rehabilitation.

How can the Clinical Psychology Service help?

As you will already know, living with the effects of a physical health condition or injury can lead to many different emotions. These can include feeling sad, angry, worried, or just really fed up. It is normal to feel any of these things, but sometimes these feelings can become overwhelming and it can be difficult to cope.

The Clinical Psychologist in the Specialist Rehabilitation Service offers help and support to patients living with a physical health condition. This can include people who have had amputations, or are under the care of the Prosthetics service. Clinical Psychologists are trained to understand the psychological effects of physical health problems, and offer talking therapies to help people work through their problems. It is important to be clear that Psychologists are different to psychiatrists and do not prescribe medications.

Examples of things that people often talk to Clinical Psychologists about include:

• Adjusting to a health condition
• Loss of confidence
• Feeling anxious or having panic attacks
• Low mood or feeling upset
• Decisions about treatment or rehabilitation
• Concerns about rehabilitation
• Worries or fears about the future
• Feeling angry
• Coping with pain

Who is the service for?

This service is available to all patients who attend the Specialist Rehabilitation Service at Seacroft Hospital. Caring for children who experience physical health difficulties can also lead to many different emotions and sometimes questions about how best to support your child and look after yourself. The Clinical Psychology Service is here to support parents as well, so if you are a parent or carer of a child attending the service, please speak to a member of the Specialist Rehabilitation team about whether Clinical Psychology may be able to help you.

What happens to the information I share with you?

Information that you share with the Clinical Psychologist is kept confidential and notes we write in meetings will be kept separate from your medical notes. Clinical Psychologists have a responsibility to tell somebody if they are worried that you or somebody else is at risk of getting hurt. We would always try to discuss this with you first. Your Clinical Psychologist will talk more about confidentiality with you at your first appointment.

What should I do if I would like this kind of help?

If you feel that you might benefit from talking to a Clinical Psychologist, please tell your Doctor or a member of the Specialist Rehabilitation (e.g. your nurse, prosthetist, orthotist, physiotherapist or occupational therapist) team who will be able to refer you. There might be a short wait before you can be seen (the person referring you will be able to find out more about this).

Who will I see?

The person you will see will usually be a qualified Clinical Psychologist who specialises in working with people attending Specialist rehabilitation. You may be seen by a Psychologist in Clinical Training. This Psychologist will be closely supervised by a qualified Clinical Psychologist.

How often will I see the Clinical Psychologist?

You and the Clinical Psychologist will discuss how often it would be best to meet. Some people may see the Psychologist only once or twice. However, others may see them weekly, fortnightly, monthly or even less frequently, over a longer period of time.

Where will I see the Psychologist?

All appointments will be at the Specialist Rehabilitation Service at or Seacroft Hospital.

Where can I get more information?

If you want to find out more about the Clinical Psychology Service, please ask one of the Specialist Rehabilitation team.