NHS patients

I am a Consultant Trauma and Orthopaedic Consultant at Kingston Hospital.  I grew up and still live in the local area and take great pride in being an employee of Kingston Hospital.

I see patients in the outpatients department of the hospital, which is on the same floor as the main entrance, directly underneath the main outpatients (sign posted ‘Fracture Clinic’).  My clinic days are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

My planned elective operating lists take place in the Day Surgery Unit, which is the block to the left of the main entrance as you look at it, shared with Maternity.  My operating days are Monday, Thursday and Friday.

After patients are referred in by their GPs, my colleagues and triage all of the referrals, generally within a few days.  Some referrals relate to injuries and may be triaged to our fracture clinics.  Others will be booked to our elective hand clinics.

If your GP has mentioned numbness in the hand, or a suspicion of carpal tunnel syndrome, we will usually book you a nerve conduction study test before your first appointment.  This helps us stratify how urgently we need to see you.  During that visit, which takes place on level 7 of Esher Wing, the neurophysiologists will place electrodes on your arms and stimulate the muscles which makes them twitch.  This feels a little unusual, but shouldn’t be painful.  Occasionally they need more information, and will place needles into the muscles.  This can give us really useful information about whether a nerve has been completely disrupted, rather than just a bit squashed, but it does hurt a little when the needle is positioned.

If you are an existing patient, and you need to get in touch with us, please call on 02089346983 (orthopaedics) and ask for extension 2403.  Alternatively you can email on khn-tr.orthopaedics@nhs.net.

Useful department links:

https://kingstonhospital.nhs.uk/department/trauma-orthopaedics/

https://kingstonhospital.nhs.uk/department/orthopaedic-outpatient-department/

Review websites:

https://www.doctify.com/uk/specialist/rupert-wharton

https://www.iwantgreatcare.org/search?search=Rupert+Wharton