"Excellent physiotherapy and hydrotherapy support"

I am receiving physiotherapy care at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary (OPD5) following surgery for two replacement shoulder joints and I was offered at short notice the opportunity of a hydro-therapy appointment at the Astley Ainsley Hospital . I am writing to express my thanks to Julie and Carla for enabling the appointment (and their general care and professionalism around my early stage physio) and particularly thanks to Yvonne and Liz for their support and care at the Astley Ainsley Hydro Therapy Pool. It was a hugely positive experience and I achieved movement in my arms that has been impossible since my critical incident last year.

I was saddened to hear that I am likely to be the last patient at the Astley Ainsley pool as the service is being moved wholesale to the Western Infirmary. I wondered if there was any opportunity to have my feedback taken account of as decisions are finalised around future services - Astley Ainsley is significantly more convenient for me (and I imagine many others who attend the ERI) than the Western Infirmary and I understand that there is no guarantee that existing professionals from the ERI will move across to the Western to deliver hydrotherapy services - this feels like a significant risk of a loss of expertise that Lothian patients currently benefit from.

I fully understand the need to live within tight budgets but I hope that my flagging of the benefit I received and the professionalism of your existing staff is of some benefit in considering how you maximize the continued benefits to patients like myself and what facilities are supported and made available. Many thanks.