Knee pain, shoulder problems, back issues, hip pain, sports injuries, post-injury triage — assessed by a GMC-registered GP with experience in musculoskeletal medicine. We do the things that don't need a hospital: clinical assessment, imaging referrals, joint and soft-tissue injections where appropriate, and onward referral to a consultant orthopaedic surgeon when surgery is on the table.
Orthopaedic is not the same as physiotherapy. Physiotherapy is treatment — manual therapy, exercise prescription, rehab. Orthopaedic is consultation, diagnosis, imaging, injection or surgical referral. If you already know you need rehab, see our Physiotherapy service. If you're not sure what's wrong or what to do next, start here.
Most musculoskeletal problems benefit from a structured assessment before assuming what they are or what they need. We see a wide range of complaints — some need imaging, some need an injection, some need a surgeon, some just need a clear physiotherapy plan. We help you work out which is which.
Acute lower back pain, chronic spinal pain, sciatica, neck stiffness or radicular arm pain, postural pain from desk work. Assessment, red flag screening, imaging referral where indicated, and onward referral if spinal specialist input is needed.
Rotator cuff tears, impingement syndrome, frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis), shoulder instability, AC joint pain, post-dislocation review. Clinical examination, ultrasound or MRI referral, steroid or anaesthetic injection where appropriate.
Anterior knee pain, meniscal tears, ligament injuries (ACL, MCL), patellar tendinopathy, osteoarthritis. Examination, imaging referral, injection therapy where appropriate, and surgical referral for cases needing arthroscopy or replacement.
Hip osteoarthritis, labral tears, trochanteric bursitis, femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), groin pain. Examination, imaging referral, and onward referral for joint preservation surgery or hip replacement where indicated.
Acute muscle strains, ligament sprains, tendinopathies (achilles, patellar, tennis/golfer's elbow), post-fracture rehabilitation planning, return-to-sport assessment. Triage of which injuries need imaging now, which need rest first, which need rehab, which need a surgeon.
Plantar fasciitis, ankle sprains, achilles tendinopathy, carpal tunnel syndrome, De Quervain's tenosynovitis, wrist sprains. Assessment, imaging where indicated, splinting / bracing advice, and injection therapy where appropriate.
Conservative management of knee, hip and other joint osteoarthritis — weight, activity, analgesia, intra-articular steroid injection where appropriate. Discussion of when joint replacement timing is right and onward referral when surgery becomes the right answer.
If you've been told you need orthopaedic surgery (or you're considering it) and want an independent clinical opinion before committing, we offer a structured consultation with imaging review and onward referral if needed. No commission interest in any outcome — just honest input.
Orthopaedic care spans many settings — from GP-level assessment through to consultant surgery in a hospital theatre. We're at the assessment-and-triage end of that spectrum. Here's how that breaks down.
Full history, examination, working diagnosis, and a clear plan from the first appointment. 30 minutes per case.
X-ray and MRI referrals to private imaging partners across London. Same-week scheduling, results reviewed at follow-up.
Ultrasound of joints, tendons, soft tissue available in our imaging service — useful for diagnosing tendinopathies, bursitis, soft-tissue lumps, joint effusion.
Where clinically appropriate, our GPs and surgeons can administer corticosteroid injections into joints (knee, shoulder, elbow), soft-tissue trigger points, tendon sheaths, or bursae. Performed under sterile technique with consent and full discussion of risks and benefits.
We have a panel of trusted hospital orthopaedic consultants we refer to, matched to your specific need (knee surgeon, shoulder surgeon, spinal specialist, foot & ankle, paediatric ortho). The referral comes with our clinical summary and imaging where applicable. We do not take a commission or referral fee from any consultant.
Where physio is the right answer, we'll write to our in-house physiotherapy service with the diagnosis and plan, so you don't have to repeat the story.
We don't have imaging equipment for X-ray or MRI in this clinic — these are referred to private imaging partners. Ultrasound is available on-site through our imaging service.
Joint replacements, ligament reconstructions, fracture fixation, arthroscopy, spinal surgery — all require a hospital orthopaedic department and are referred to consultant surgeons.
Suspected fractures need acute imaging and orthopaedic specialist input — A&E or urgent care is the right route, not us. The Royal London A&E is 5 minutes from us.
Septic joints, cauda equina syndrome, suspected fractures, joint dislocations, compartment syndrome — all need hospital A&E immediately. We are an outpatient clinic and not equipped for these.
Caudal epidurals, facet joint injections under image guidance, nerve root blocks — these need a hospital interventional radiology or pain medicine setting.
We don't offer these modalities. Some can be useful for specific conditions; we'll signpost to appropriate providers if relevant.
Some orthopaedic presentations are time-critical and need a hospital setting with imaging, surgical cover and admission capability. We are not equipped for these and would only delay the care you need. If any of the following apply, go to A&E or call 999 immediately.
What to do: Call 999 for immediate severe symptoms, or go to A&E. The Royal London A&E (Whitechapel) is 5 minutes' walk from us. For cauda equina specifically, do not wait — the time window for surgical decompression is short and outcomes worsen with delay.
Each case follows roughly the same shape, with variation depending on what we find at assessment. The principle is: examine first, image only what needs imaging, treat what we can treat, refer what needs a surgeon.
A full history and examination. We assess your specific complaint, screen for red flags, test the relevant joints and movements, and discuss what we think is going on. You'll leave with a working diagnosis, a written plan, and a clear sense of what the next step is — imaging, injection, physiotherapy, surgical opinion, or simply time and a structured home programme.
If imaging is needed, we refer for X-ray or MRI to a private imaging partner across London (or for soft-tissue ultrasound, our on-site imaging service). Most imaging can be scheduled within the same week. Results are reviewed in a follow-up consultation, with the diagnosis explained and the treatment plan refined.
Where we can treat in clinic — corticosteroid injection for an inflamed bursa or arthritic joint, soft-tissue injection for tendinopathy, or a structured rehab plan into our physiotherapy service — we do that. Where the case needs a consultant orthopaedic surgeon, we write the referral with imaging and clinical summary attached, matched to a consultant whose subspecialty fits your problem.
For conditions we manage in clinic, follow-up at 4–8 weeks to review progress and adjust the plan. With your consent we write to your NHS GP so the record is complete. For consultant referrals, we stay available for any questions and can review post-surgery rehab plans if helpful.
No — not in this clinic. Our orthopaedic service is GP-led. For many MSK problems, a thorough GP-level assessment is the right starting point: you'll find out what's going on, get any imaging that's needed, and get a clear plan. If your case needs a consultant orthopaedic surgeon — for surgical opinion or definitive specialist management — we refer to a panel of trusted hospital consultants matched to your specific problem (knee, shoulder, hip, spine, foot & ankle).
The benefit of starting with us: many MSK problems don't need a surgeon, and you save the time and cost of a consultant consultation when GP-level management is the right answer. When surgery is the right answer, we get you to the right person with a proper referral.
Yes — our GPs and surgeons can administer corticosteroid injections into joints (knee, shoulder, elbow), soft-tissue trigger points, tendon sheaths and bursae, where clinically appropriate. Common indications include sub-acromial bursitis, lateral epicondylitis ("tennis elbow"), trigger finger, plantar fasciitis, and intra-articular injection for arthritic knee or shoulder.
Most landmark-guided joint injections are performed without ultrasound and outcomes are good. For deeper injections or where landmark guidance is unreliable (some hip and spinal targets), we'd refer for image-guided injection at a hospital setting. Whether ultrasound is needed is decided case-by-case at consultation.
Different roles in MSK care. Physiotherapy is treatment — manual therapy, exercise prescription, structured rehab, return-to-sport coaching. Physiotherapists are autonomous clinicians; you can self-refer to our physiotherapy service for back pain, sports injuries, post-surgical rehab, and most musculoskeletal complaints.
Orthopaedic is consultation, diagnosis, imaging review, joint injection where appropriate, and referral to a hospital surgeon when surgery is on the table. You'd see us first if: you don't know what's wrong; you've tried physio without improvement and need to escalate; you want a steroid injection; you've been told you might need surgery and want a second opinion; or you've had an injury and need an X-ray or MRI to understand it.
Yes — pre-surgery second opinion consultations are one of the things we're useful for. The consultation is 30 minutes; bring any imaging (X-rays, MRI), letters from the recommending consultant, and a list of your symptoms and how they affect daily life. We'll review the case independently and either confirm the recommendation, suggest alternative approaches, or refer you to a different consultant for a second surgical opinion.
We have no commission interest in any outcome — if conservative management is reasonable, we'll say so; if the original recommendation looks right, we'll confirm it. Joint replacement is a major decision and worth taking the time to be sure.
Most private MRI scans across London are available within the same week, often within a few days. After your consultation, we write the referral; you book a slot directly with the imaging provider; the report is sent back to us and reviewed with you at follow-up. Total time from consultation to results-review is typically 1–2 weeks.
Note: an MRI without a clinician to interpret it in context isn't always helpful — this is why we generally see you, examine you, and then refer for imaging rather than scanning first. Imaging needs a clinical question to answer.
Most acute ankle and knee injuries do not need X-ray — the Ottawa Ankle and Knee Rules (clinical criteria for when X-ray is justified) mean most soft-tissue injuries can be diagnosed and managed without imaging. A consultation is the right first step: history, examination, and a decision about whether imaging adds anything.
If the injury is severe (significant deformity, inability to bear weight, severe pain on bone palpation), go to A&E directly for X-ray rather than waiting for a clinic appointment.
Bupa, AXA Health, Vitality, Aviva, Cigna and WPA generally cover MSK consultations, imaging referrals, and onward consultant referrals for diagnosed MSK conditions. Pre-authorisation is usually required. Coverage for steroid injections varies by policy. We provide detailed receipts and itemised reports for insurance claims.
For older children and adolescents (typically 14+) with sports injuries or common orthopaedic complaints, we can see them with a parent present — many sports injuries in this age group are similar to adult presentations. For younger children, paediatric-specific conditions (developmental hip problems, congenital limb issues, paediatric fractures), specialist paediatric orthopaedic services are the right setting — we'd refer.
We write a referral letter to a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at a private hospital, matched to your specific subspecialty need (knee, shoulder, hip, spine, foot & ankle, etc.). The referral includes our clinical summary, examination findings, any imaging done, and your priorities. You'll continue under the consultant's care from there; we can stay available for any coordination questions.
If you'd prefer to use the NHS pathway for surgery, we can write to your NHS GP recommending an NHS orthopaedic referral — with imaging and a clear clinical summary, your GP can typically refer onward without re-doing the assessment. We have no commercial interest in steering you toward private over NHS; the right pathway depends on your priorities.
Bring (1) any previous imaging you have on disc or via online portal (X-ray, MRI, CT, ultrasound), (2) any clinical letters from previous orthopaedic or physio assessments, (3) a list of current treatments, (4) photo ID, and (5) loose clothing that allows easy access to the affected joint (shorts for lower limb problems, vest or t-shirt for shoulder problems). If you have a regular sport or activity that's affected, mention it — it shapes the plan.
Full pricing for consultations, injections, imaging referrals and reports is published on our price list. We do not charge separate appointment fees on top of quoted prices, and all costs are confirmed before any test, procedure or report is started.
If a joint, muscle or back problem is limiting you, book an MSK consultation. We'll examine you properly, image what needs imaging, treat what we can treat, and refer where surgery is the right answer.
See full pricing on our price list