The content of this leaflet is currently being reviewed. For any queries, please contact the service directly
Musculoskeletal Assessment and Treatment Service (MATS)
What is the MATS service?
The MATS service provides assessment and treatment for patients with orthopaedic (joint, ligament and muscle) conditions.
The service is here to make sure that you reach the clinical team that is most appropriate to your needs as quickly as possible.
Who will I see at my appointment?
Your appointment letter will name the clinician you will see. The MATS clinical team is made up of doctors and physiotherapists who have specialist knowledge and skills in examining,
diagnosing and managing people with orthopaedic conditions.
How long is my appointment?
Your first appointment will be up to 45 minutes long. Most people only need to attend for the one appointment (see below). In some cases it may be appropriate for you to attend second or
subsequent appointments, lasting 15-30 minutes.
What will happen at my appointment?
At your first appointment your clinician will ask you some questions about your symptoms and condition. With your permission they will examine the affected and related areas of your body. For this you will be asked to remove some items of clothing. It would be helpful if you could attend the clinic suitably dressed
including wearing appropriate underwear. Your privacy and dignity will always be respected.
The clinician will explain their findings and diagnosis, advise you on what you can do yourself to ease your symptoms and outline further treatment options. This may include one or some of the following:
A pain relieving injection that may be performed at this or a late appointment
Referring you for treatment (e.g. Physiotherapy or Podiatry) with another department
Referring you for further tests/ investigations (e.g. x-rays) Referring you to a hospital consultant.
Your responsibility as a MATS Individual
The MATS Services is in great demand. Even so, every week, many people fail to keep their appointments. All of these appointments are wasted. As a individual of the MATS service you can help us to tackle this problem.
1. Please tell us if you no longer need your appointment
Please let us know as soon as possible, by calling the telephone number on the top of your appointment letter. We can then offer the appointment to another patient.
2. What if you need to change your appointment?
If you need to change the date or time of your appointment, please call with as much notice as possible. If you want to change the appointment a second time, we will not be able to offer you another date unless in
exceptional circumstances. We will write to you and your GP to tell you this. However, if you do still require an appointment, please contact your GP.
3. What if you fail to attend?
We will assume that you no longer require an appointment and we will not offer you another one. We will write to your GP to tell you this. However, if you do still require an appointment, please contact your GP.
Please let us know if your personal details change
We will need to contact you with information about your appointment. We can only do this if the address and telephone number we have for you are correct.
Thank you for helping us to improve the services we provide for you.
Who to contact about your appointment
Your appointment letter will detail who to contact about your appointment. To help us answer your query please have the following details available:
Name
Date of Birth
Appointment date
Name of clinic you are attending
MATS number or new NHS number
The name of the clinic you are attending and the MATS number or new NHS number will be on your appointment letter.
