INTRODUCTIONThe UK Department of Health, in its attempt to help NHS trusts reduce long elective waiting lists, set up the overseas commissioning scheme in 2002. This allowed hospitals to send their patients abroad for their surgery. In theory, this was a win-win situation, where pressures upon surgeons were reduced, and trusts could reach UK Government targets and avoid breaches. At our hospital, a significant number of patients, who had undergone a total joint replacement abroad, were discharged after only one postoperative review and often had very little physiotherapy. A few presented to our clinic with more serious problems.
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