Brachial Plexus Injury Service for Scotland and the UK

The Scottish National Brachial Plexus Injury Service (SNBPIS) is based in Glasgow at:-

The New Victoria Hospital (Adult Clinics and Administration)
The Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (Adult Surgery I)
The Glasgow Royal Infirmary (Adult Surgery II)
The Royal Hospital for Children (Children's Clinics and Surgery)

The Adult Service became a designated National Service for Scotland in April 2004.

The Children's Service became a designated National Service for Scotland in April 2006.

If you have a brachial plexus injury requiring specialist intervention your doctor or surgeon can send you from your local NHS Board to our national service for treatment (see information on Travel Expenses).

We are the primary national service providing specialist treatment for brachial plexus injury in Scotland. Our highly experienced clinicians will make sure you receive the best possible care and rehabilitation.

Patients from Northern Ireland and the north of England are also occasionally referred to our service.

See our About Us page for more information about the service.

Doctors often use several different terms to describe exactly the same thing.

Here is a very brief guide to brachial plexus terminology:-

BPI - "Brachial Plexus Injury". An injury to the nerves which control the shoulder, arm and hand.
Brachial Plexus - A network of nerves which control the shoulder, arm, elbow, wrist, hand and fingers.
Erb's Palsy - A traditional name for the kind of brachial plexus injury which can happen to a baby during birth. Named after German neurologist Wilhelm Heinrich Erb. Now often referred to as OBPI (see below).
Neurophysiology Tests - Electrical tests performed on nerves to see if they are working or not following an injury.
OBPI - "Obstetric Brachial Plexus Injury". The modern name for 'Erb's Palsy'.
OBPP - "Obstetric Brachial Plexus Palsy". An alternative name for OBPI or Erb's Palsy.
TBPI - "Traumatic Brachial Plexus Injury". A brachial plexus injury sustained during a high-energy accident, e.g. a road traffic accident, an industrial accident, an assault, etc. resulting in an open or 'bleeding' injury.

ALISS: A Local Information System for Scotland

The Erb’s Palsy Group CIO is the only UK based organisation offering advice, information and support to families affected by Erb's Palsy (OBPI).

A fun site full of activities, links, printable games and advice for kids who have Erb's Palsy (OBPI). Hosted by Herbie, the friendly mascot of the Erb’s Palsy Group.

The Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity ensure that young patients and their families at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow receive the best possible care and experience.

National Association
for Bikers
with a Disability

The National Association for Bikers with a Disability (NABD) has been supporting disabled bikers since 1991.

Scottish
Brachial Plexus
Injury Group

The Scottish Brachial Plexus Injury Group is a forum set up in 2017 to bring people affected by Brachial Plexus Injury together.

The Trauma Brachial Plexus Injury Group provide support and information for adults who have a Trauma Brachial Plexus Injury (TBPI).

Victim Support provides emotional support, practical help and essential information to victims, witnesses and others affected by crime.

The SNBPIS is a designated 'National Service for Scotland' in agreement with NHS National Services Division (NSD).

We treat patients from all over Scotland, Northern Ireland and occasionally from other remote parts of the UK (subject to funding approval).

Reimbursement of travel expenses is at the discretion of your local NHS Board (with one or two exceptions mentioned below).

Please contact the travel office at your local NHS Board to discuss applying for travel expenses.

Here is an extract from the NSD policy document:-

Subject to certain criteria, travelling expenses incurred by patients or their carers, who are in need of hospital treatment and who do not require an ambulance, and their relatives, can be reimbursed to ensure that patients are not prevented from attending a hospital on grounds of a lack of funds or excessive expense.

There are two specific schemes where patient’s travelling expenses are met by central Government - one for patients on income support or family credit and one for patients resident in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland who have to travel more than 30 miles to a hospital.

In other cases reimbursement is at the discretion of NHS Boards.

Clinic staff do not deal with travel expense claims.

If you are travelling from Northern Ireland to Glasgow to attend one of our clinics, or for an inpatient stay, the HSCB (Northern Ireland) will cover your travel costs, as well as help with booking tickets and accommodation.

For more information contact the HSCB Travel Office, 12-22 Linenhall Street, Belfast, BT2 8BS

Telephone: 0300 555 0116 (Monday - Friday 9.00am to 5.00pm)

Open the attached PDF document for full information and contact details.

HSCNI Website:

Northern Ireland:
Patient Travel
Information
(PDF)

Patient Transport Service - Direct Booking Service

Who is it for?

Patients who have a medical condition or mobility need that requires ambulance transport to get to their healthcare appointments. Your need will be assessed by trained staff when you call. The service takes patients to and from pre-arranged hospital appointments, or for their admission and discharge to hospital.

How does it work?

Patients will book ambulance transport directly via a specialist Scottish Ambulance Service contact centre in Glasgow. You will be able to talk to specially trained staff and request ambulance transport to and from your healthcare appointment up to 28 days in advance.

The number to call is: 0300 123 1236

Text Relay on 18001 03001231236 - for anyone hard of hearing

Calls will be charged at local rates for mobiles and landlines.
Please call as soon as you are notified of a hospital or clinic appointment.

Patients who need support can ask their carer, friend, relative or GP to make the request on their behalf.

How do I cancel a booked journey?

To cancel a journey please call the national cancellation number at any time on: 0300 123 1236 (local rate answer machine service).

Who provides this service?

The Scottish Ambulance Service.

How can I find out more?

The Scottish Ambulance Service website has more detailed information on who is eligible, how the service works and other transport options.

www.scottishambulance.com

Note

NHS clinic staff, doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, administrators, secretaries etc. do not and are not able to arrange transport for patients. They have no direct access to this service. This is solely the responsibility of the patient.

Patients who are resident outside the UK should first seek treatment from their local orthopaedic specialist.

If local treatment is not available then a private clinic may be willing to discuss patient-funded treatment.

The SNBPIS does not have access to patient-funded facilities for treatment of brachial plexus injury.

As a designated 'National Service for Scotland' the SNBPIS receives funding primarily to treat patients who are resident within the UK, in agreement with NHS National Services Division (NSD) policy.

If a non-UK resident wishes to be treated by the SNBPIS then funding must be agreed with NHS National Services Division (NSD) before a referral can be received by the SNBPIS.

Please refer to this NSD Policy document for further information: https://www.nsd.scot.nhs.uk/Documents/nsdpolicies.pdf.

Quick Contacts

If you are contacting us about an appointment please provide either the patient's name and date of birth, or the patient's name and NHS ID number.

Adult Clinic

New Victoria Hospital - Clinic F

Telephone: 0141 347 8741 or 8742

Adult Therapy Team

Nurse Specialist:
0141 347 8026 or 0141 347 8754
laura.falconer@nhs.scot

Occupational Therapist:
0141 347 8062 (Mon/Tue)
mandy.sinforiani@nhs.scot

Specialist Physiotherapist:
0141 347 8685
andrea.shaarani@nhs.scot

Adult Appointments

Service Administrator:
0141 347 8916
ggc.brachial.plexus@nhs.scot

Or the Appointments Office:
0141 347 8347
VictoriaAppointments@ggc.scot.nhs.uk

Children's Appointments

Service Administrator:
0141 347 8916
ggc.brachial.plexus@nhs.scot

Or the Appointments Office:
0141 347 8850 or 0800 592 087
appointmentsbookingcentre@ggc.scot.nhs.uk

Children's Clinic

Outpatients, Royal Hospital for Children

Telephone: 0141 201 0000

Children's Therapy Team

Paediatric Occupational Therapist:
0141 452 4650
nicola.hart6@nhs.scot

Paediatric Physiotherapist:
0141 452 4650
heather.farish2@nhs.scot

Paediatric Psychologist:
0141 451 6574/6499
rhc.paediatricclinicalpsychology@
ggc.scot.nhs.uk

Scottish National

BRACHIAL PLEXUS INJURY SERVICE

Scottish National

BRACHIAL
PLEXUS
INJURY
SERVICE

Information for Patients and Families

Patient Satisfaction Surveys

Information for New Patients

Information Booklets for Patients (PDF)

Adult
Patient Information
Booklet (PIB) *

Looking after
your hand
following
nerve injury

Glossary
of Terms

Pain
Information *

Tendon Transfer
Surgery

A Brief Guide to Terminology

Resources/Support Groups/External Links

Travel Expenses for Patients

Northern Ireland Patients

Northern Ireland:
Patient Travel
Information
(PDF)

Patient Transport Service