Freedom of Information Request – Ref: 321-2024
Thank you for your recent Freedom of Information request. Please find our response below.
You asked:
Freedom of Information – Claudication Services
Services
Q1. Does your Trust currently provide a vascular service for the diagnosis and treatment of vascular diseases, specifically including vascular surgery and interventional vascular radiology?
Yes
No
Q2. If vascular services are available, is your organisation designated as a specialist vascular care centre or a hub centre within the network of care providers? (please select all that apply)
Specialist services: providing diagnostics and expert advice in an outpatient setting and providing elective and 24/7 emergency vascular services.
Hub centre: providing diagnostics and expert advice in an outpatient setting.
Specialist centre
Hub
Other (Please specify) …………………………………………………………………….
Claudication clinics
Intermittent claudication: Intermittent claudication is the most common clinical symptom associated with peripheral arterial disease — walking (exercise) induced pain in the lower limbs caused by diminished circulation that is relieved by rest.
Q3. In your organisation, are there specific claudication clinics for patients with intermittent claudication?
Yes
No – If no please skip to question Q10
Q4. If yes, which healthcare professional usually sees patients in these clinics? Please select all that apply.
Vascular surgeon/medical doctor
Vascular nurse specialist
Allied health professional
Other (Please specify) …………………………………………………………………….
Q5. In your organisation, what is the format of claudication clinics? Please select all that apply.
Diagnostic testing
Disease counselling and treatment planning
Offer lifestyle management
Offer exercise
Other (Please specify) ………………………………………………………………..
Q6. How frequently are claudication specialist clinics held?
Weekly
Every 2–4 weeks
Every 2–4 months
Less frequently than all the above options
Other (Please specify) ………………………………………………………………..
Q7. What is the standard interval for routine follow-up for patients diagnosed with intermittent claudication?
Every 1 month,
Every 3–6 months
Every 12 months
Determined by clinical need
No formal follow-up
Not Known
Other (Please specify) …………………………………………………………………….
Q9. In your organisation, what is the current waiting time for patients with intermittent claudication between referral and 1st appointment in the vascular specialist clinics?
Please specify …………………………………………………………………….
Exercise
Q10. Are patients with intermittent claudication who attend your Trust offered a supported exercise programme specifically designed for claudication? Please select all that apply.
Yes
No
Verbal advice only
Q11. What is the format of the exercise programme for patients with claudication? Please select all that apply.
Supervised classes in hospital or community setting
Virtual Supervised classes at home
App based directed exercise at home
Home/Unsupervised
Don’t Know
Q12. If a structured programme exists, where is this programme provided?
Your hospital/ Trust, i.e within your organisation
Another hospital/ Trust, i.e outside your organisation
Referral to primary care setting outside your organisation
Referral to a private setting outside your organisation
Other (Please specify) …………………………………………………………………….
Q13. Over what duration do these supervised exercise programmes typically last for patients diagnosed with claudication?
4-8 weeks
12–16 weeks
More frequently than all the above options (Please specify) …………………..
Less frequently than all the above options (Please specify) …………………..
Q14. How long are the classes (in minutes)?
30-60 minutes
60–90 minutes
More frequently than all the above options (Please specify) …………………..
Less frequently than all the above options (Please specify) …………………..
Q15. How often/frequently (times per week) do the classes meet?
Once per week
Every 2–4 weeks
Every 2–4 months
Less frequently than all the above options
Other (Please specify) …………………..
Q16. Which healthcare professionals are involved in delivering the classes? Please select all that apply.
Physiotherapist
Nurse
Exercise professional
Other (Please specify) …………………………………………………………………….
Smoking
Q17. In your organisation, where do you offer a smoking cessation service to patients with intermittent claudication?
Your hospital/ Trust, i.e within your organisation
Another hospital/ Trust, i.e outside your organisation
Referral to primary care setting outside your organisation
Referral to a private setting outside your organisation
Other (Please specify) …………………………………………………………………….
Dietetics
Q18. In your organisation, where do you offer a dietetics service to patients with intermittent claudication?
Your hospital/ Trust, i.e within your organisation
Another hospital/ Trust, i.e outside your organisation
Referral to primary care setting outside your organisation
Referral to a private setting outside your organisation
Other (Please specify) …………………………………………………………………….
Psychology
Q19. Does your organisation offer a psychology service specific for patients with intermittent claudication?
Yes
No – If no please skip to question Q21
Q20. Is there a screening pathway for patients with intermittent claudication to be referred to a psychologist?
Yes
No – If no please skip to question Q21
Referral
Q21 What are the available pathways or methods by which patients with intermittent claudication are referred to the vascular service in your organisation? Please select all that apply:
Vascular staff screen lists of hospital ward patients
A telephone/pager referral system
A paper referral form (collected in person/faxed/posted)
Secure email system
Electronic computerised system (e.g. patient record system)
Other (Please specify) …………………………………………………………………….
Q22. Is there a standard proforma for referral to vascular?
Yes
No
Other (Please specify) …………………………………………………………………….
Our response:
The Trust does not provide the services mentioned on the request.
Next steps:
Should you have any queries in relation to our response, please do not hesitate to contact us. If you are unhappy with the response you have received in relation to your request and wish to ask us to review our response, you should write to:
Louise Moss
Head of Legal Services / Associate Director of Corporate Governance
c/o Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust
Edward Jenner Court
1010 Pioneer Avenue
Gloucester Business Park
Brockworth, GL3 4AW
E-mail: louise.moss@ghc.nhs.uk
If you are not content with the outcome of any review, you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for further advice/guidance. Generally, the ICO will not consider your case unless you have exhausted your enquiries with the Trust which should include considering the use of the Trust’s formal complaints procedure. The ICO can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.