What is Rehabilitation?

The process of restoring someone to a condition of health or useful activity after illness or injury.
(The Oxford English Dictionary)

In the case of amputees or individuals with congenital limb absence this process is carried out both in hospital post amputation and in NHS Disablement Service Centres (Limb Centres) operated by primary care trusts. We believe, as do the NHS and Independent Service Providers, in a holistic approach incorporating many different aspects of rehabilitation, carried out by the multidisciplinary team. Click here to read more about the Multidisciplinary team.

Currently there are an estimated 62,000 amputees in the UK, who have been referred to a limb centre for prosthetic rehabilitation. It is estimated that there are a further 40,000 amputees not wearing prosthetic limbs.

Every year there are approximately 6,000 new patient referrals to NHS prosthetic limb services generally known as Disablement Service Centres or Rehab Centres. These referrals are both prior to and following limb and digit amputation and congenital limb deficiency.

It is worth noting that not all referrals will go on to wear an artificial limb, also know as a prosthesis. This will depend on the individual’s general health, mobility and other pre-existing medical conditions.