Patient Information

We aim to provide you with your orthosis or prosthesis efficiently and expediently irrespective of private or medical card patient status. With a medical card, patients must wait for funding approval from the Health Board for your treatment. This can vary from a few weeks to several months depending on your county. As soon as funding is approved or a deposit paid (if you are a private patient), we will manufacture or order your device and fit it as soon as possible.

Sometimes, your device may need adjusting while you wait. This is not always possible so a second fitting may be required.

Please note that for private patients payment in full is required before we can supply your device. Payment can be made by cash, cheque or card.

Note regarding orthopaedic footwear:

Unlike with conventional shoes several measurements of your foot are required in the provision of orthopaedic footwear. This is because orthopaedic footwear manufacturers can offer up to twelve different fittings for a given size of shoe, rather than one or two fittings as in High Street shoe shops.

A range of styles and colours can be selected from our manufacturers’ catalogues allowing you to choose functional yet fashionable footwear. Your clinician will be able to assist you in making an informed choice.

Initially you will be asked questions relating to your presenting complaint (the main reason you have come to see us) based on your:

• General medical history
• Daily activities i.e. work, leisure/sports
• Treatment expectations

We will also perform a physical examination to assess the condition of the affected body part, including joint mobility, muscle strength, circulation, pain levels and sensation.

Please wear loose fitting trousers or shorts if we are assessing your legs or feet. You should also bring the shoes that you wear most often, both for work/school and at home. If you participate in sport bring your runners/boots.

If the assessment relates to your arms or spine please wear a t-shirt or vest.

It is helpful to bring any previous devices (insoles, braces, splints, prosthetic limbs etc) that you may have had, whether they were helpful or not, in order to see what else you have tried.

It is very important that you tell your clinician if you have any of the following:

• diabetes
• heart condition
• epilepsy
• any allergies

This is for your safety in case of an emergency while you are at the clinic and to ensure that your treatment is safe and appropriate for you.

At assessment, your clinician will discuss available options with you and recommend a course of treatment. They will take any necessary measurements and casts in order to supply a device that fits you well and that performs its task properly. Many of our devices involve taking a cast of the part of your body that needs treatment. This simple process involves plaster-of-Paris bandage or fibreglass casting tape (the same materials used if you break your arm) dipped in warm water, then wrapped around the appropriate body part and allowed to harden. It is then carefully cut off and removed. The casting process usually takes approximately 20 minutes (or longer for more complex casts such as a spinal jacket).

During the fitting appointment for your new device, your clinician will discuss ‘follow-up’ or review appointments with you dependent on your individual needs. Your opinion is important in determining the frequency of these review appointments. You may prefer to meet the clinician only when it is necessary i.e. when you outgrow your insoles or when your shoes are starting to wear out, or, perhaps, after a specific period, for example, on the completion of a course of physiotherapy.

You are free to make a review appointment at any time should you feel you require one. Please call us at 091 796983 for all appointment queries.

If you are unable to attend an appointment please let us know as soon as possible to allow us to reschedule for you and in order to offer your vacated time-slot to someone else.

Please call us at 091 796983 should you need to cancel or change your appointment and we will be glad to assist you.

APOS welcomes both private and medical card patients to avail of our services! LTI cards are also accepted. 

Private Patients

Our team of qualified and registered health professionals are at hand to provide assessment and to advise you as to your available prosthetic and orthotic options. We will provide you with a full quote for any treatment we recommend.

Orthotic patients: Our prices include the assessment and fitting consultations, the orthosis and any ‘follow-up’ or review appointment,  that may be necessary. An orthotic assessment is a 30 minute long private consultation. If you wish to proceed following the initial assessment, we will ask you to pay a 50% deposit on the day.

Prosthetic patients should call for advice regarding private assessment fees as they will vary due to the specific requirements of each unique, individual case  and the complex nature of prosthetics.

As APOS is a medical device provider all costs can be submitted on your Med 1 Form. Private insurers may reimburse you the cost of orthotics and prosthetics, however, we do recommend you check your cover first.

Medical & LTI card holders

We are delighted to welcome patients holding a Medical Card or Long Term Illness (LTI) Card. There is no cost for our services for patients who hold these cards. However, you will be asked to provide the following:

• Referral letter from a GP (or other health professional)
• Your medical or LTI Card details

We will, then, be able to offer you an assessment appointment at one of our clinics conducted by a registered orthotist prosthetist. At assessment, you will be advised as to the options available to you. Our treatment includes the initial assessment and subsequent fitting consultations, the orthosis or prosthesis and any follow up appointment that may be necessary.

We will provide the HSE with a full quote for any treatment we recommend and they will make a funding decision in due course. The length of time it takes for this process varies from area to area. Each health area has its own system for referral to our service but in most cases a referral letter from a GP or other health professional such as a chartered physiotherapist or podiatrist is necessary.

Patients with GP Visit Cards are not covered for HSE funded treatment but can be treated privately at one of our clinics nationwide.

Guarantee

All of our products and services include a six month guarantee which commences from the day the device is supplied. If you feel your device is not comfortable, or not helping to resolve the problem or if it requires repair, make an appointment and we will address your concerns at no extra charge. If the guarantee has expired we will endeavour to ensure you are fully satisfied with your device but there may be a charge.

For medical card patients we will require a new referral letter (from your GP, physiotherapist, podiatrist/chiropodist or consultant) to apply to the health board to cover any costs after the guarantee period expires.

T&Cs

APOS provides a full clinical service in conjunction with an Orthosis or Prothesis. Everything we supply is custom to the patient and is designed to meet the needs of that individual. We work hard to ensure that all patients have a positive experience of our service and a good outcome from using their device.

What to do if you’re concerned or unhappy with the service or item you have received from us?

Get in touch on 091 796983 and inform us of your concerns. We will do everything we can to address these and get things sorted for you.

The enormous variety in patient needs, designs and medical conditions mean that items may need to be reviewed and adjusted over time. We guarantee our services for 6 months from fitting and are happy to see you again in one of our clinics free of charge within that time. We will repair, adapt or replace parts as necessary if required.

In the extremely rare circumstance where we can’t resolve an issue and can’t reach a satisfactory outcome for the patient we can issue a refund. However, this will be after all devices supplied by us are returned to APOS (less the initial assessment fee which will be retained).

Prosthetic & Orthotic Services Still Available in Current Climate at APOS

APOS wishes to advise our patients, service users and colleagues in the allied health professions of modified working arrangements during this current challenging time.

Changes to existing work practices at our Kilcolgan clinic in line with social distancing and stringent handwashing guidelines are in place. However, all external clinics (i.e. those NOT at our Kilcolgan base) previously scheduled for the coming weeks have been cancelled.  Patients affected by these changes have been informed and will be reappointed. Patients can call APOS for an urgent appointment as it is better that health issues be addressed at the Kilcolgan clinic than regress to require more acute medical intervention. This situation, however, is subject to change pending further Government announcements.

We wish to reassure our patients that the appropriate measures as advised by the Department of Health are in place. These include:

• Immediate entry to a single clinic room
• Vigorous handwashing procedures
• Provision of sanitizing agents
• Implementation of staff segregation
• Social distancing measures

Staff and management are mindful of the necessity to alter work practices in order to protect our more vulnerable patients. APOS will continue to offer an emergency, clinical prosthetic and orthotic service at Kilcolgan for needful patients where strict contact control can be maintained.

If an emergency appointment is needed in the designated timeframe, these measures will be explained to patients, on request, in advance. We are taking these steps within our remit as a dedicated disability services and health care provider. Despite the current, unprecedented climate, we will continue to operate with the aim of ‘restoring functional independence.’

For further information, please contact APOS on 091 796983 or by email at enquiry@apos.ie.