Prosthetics Rehabilitation Service- Livewell Southwest

The Prosthetics Service provides external prosthetic devices (upper and lower limbs) to amputees and limb deficient people who live and work within our catchment area. As their condition will not improve, they remain in the service for life. The service covers Plymouth, South and West Devon (South Hams) and Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

The aim of the service is to meet the individual needs of our patients, to allow them to return to their pre-morbid activities (wherever possible), or achieve the best outcome for their condition. This could be enabling a return to a sport like golf, running or swimming. The service also provides repairs and maintenance of the prosthesis.

Amputees and limb deficient patients are 'patients for life', therefore it is extremely important that they receive continuity of care from their local Prosthetic Centre.

The service is provided for all children from birth and adults of all ages in the following groups:

• Patients who have undergone amputation of a limb or multiple limbs, at any level, due to disease, trauma or malformation
• Patients who are about to have or who are considering the option of elective amputation of a limb (pre-operatively)
• Patients with congenital limb absence or deficiency

The service will provide a comprehensive multi-disciplinary approach which will, within resources:

Enable patients who have undergone amputation to achieve their maximum potential in terms of:

• mobility
• independence in their required activities of daily living
• participation in work, education, social, leisure and personal life activities
• achievement of individual rehabilitation goals
• provide life long care and continuity of the ongoing provision and proactive, preventative maintenance of prosthetic limbs
• provide advice and support for amputees and people with congenital limb loss, including those who are not able, or choose not, to wear a prosthesis
• be cost effective and measurable with specific emphasis on quality of life measures