New STARband™ Clinic Opens in Kingston Upon Thames, to Treat Babies with Flattened Heads
A new clinic opens in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, UK to treat babies with plagiocephaly (flattened head syndrome) using a STARband helmet.
(PRWEB) June 23, 2005
Medistox Ltd. is delighted to announce the opening of a new clinic in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, for the treatment of babies with deformational plagiocephaly – or flat head syndrome. The STARband™ cranial remoulding orthosis (a type of helmet) is used to treat the condition, which is becoming increasingly prevalent amongst infants.
Stephen Mottram has been holding regular one day a fortnight STARband™ clinics at 10 Harley Street since August 2004. Due to increased demand for the treatment, this clinic has grown considerably during 2005 to three full days per week and had become very busy and compressed. The house at 10 Harley Street was unable to offer any increase in clinic time, so Medistox has expanded its London clinic with the opening of the new clinic in Kingston-upon-Thames at the offices of The London Orthotic Consultancy.
Medistox’s Clinical Specialist Orthotist, Stephen Mottram, explains, “Since starting work in Harley Street in August 2004, Medistox has helped to resolve the plagiocephaly of more than 100 babies and Harley Street has been an excellent location for us to start our STARband™ clinical service. It is now time to move to a dedicated location, with permanent facilities. We can now offer better patient care and more flexible appointment times in a more relaxed environment with easier access and parking facilities.”
The London Orthotic Consultancy is a group of highly experienced orthotists. All the clinicians have worked both within the NHS and the private sector. They have knowledge and understanding in all aspects of orthotic management and are all registered with the Health Professions Council (HPC) and are all members of The British Association of Prosthetists and Orthotists (BAPO). The London Orthotic Consultancy is an independent, highly skilled orthotic group that offers excellent facilities for clinicians and patients.
Jo Drake is the clinical lead within The London Orthotic Consultancy team for STARband™ cranial remoulding. Steve Mottram will be working with her and the other group partners in establishing this new full-time STARband™ clinic. Jo has been working and training with Steve for several months in Harley Street, developing her skills and understanding in this highly technical field of orthotics. She and Steve will continue to work together on Thursdays and Fridays during the initial uptake of patient load and will also be in collaboration as the clinical expertise develops. Initially, to make sure that all current patients have continuity of care, Steve will continue to hold clinics on Wednesdays at 10 Harley Street and will be working in the new Kingston clinic on Thursdays and Fridays. All current patients have appointments at 10 Harley Street, but can be seen at the London Orthotic Consultancy on Thursdays or Fridays if they prefer. New patients can be seen on any day in Kingston as required.
The Kingston clinic is only a few minutesÂ’ walk from Kingston main line railway station and is well served by the local bus network. It is within easy reach of main motorways, the M25, M3, M23 and M20 and, being in Kingston, is located outside of the London Congestion Charging Zone. It has ample dedicated car parking spaces directly outside the clinic.
One of the benefits of the STARband™ is that it is manufactured from a mould made to an optical scan of the baby’s head, produced by a STARscanner™. The system was designed to provide orthotists with an efficient and effective tool for acquiring accurate head shape data. The scan takes less than two seconds, rather than more than twenty minutes of distress for the baby using traditional casting techniques. It also prevents shrinkage and cast warping problems that often happen as the cast is removed, dried and transported. As treatment progresses, it allows exact comparison of progress, as the baby’s head is remoulded to greater normal symmetry. The STARscanner™ is regulated as a safe method of collecting head shape data.
From Monday 13th June 2005, the STARscanner™ will be located at the new clinic, where all new patients will be seen. The clinic’s full contact details are:
The London Orthotic Consultancy Ltd.,
6 & 7 Canbury Business Park,
Elm Crescent,
Kingston upon Thames, Surrey,
KT2 6HJ.
Telephone: 020 8974 9989
Fax: 020 8974 9977
Email: starband@londonorthotics. co. uk
Website: www. plagiocephalyuk. co. uk
The clinic represents an improvement in venue, facilities and availability, and to cover extra overheads the cost for the whole treatment for new patients will be £1,850.00 (including VAT).
Steve Mottram has known this group of orthotists for many years and holds their experience and skills in very high regard. He says, “We will be working closely together as the clinic starts. Jo has been working with me in Harley Street for several months. I am impressed by her knowledge and skills and I am confident that she is more than capable of undertaking treatment for any baby with plagiocephaly. In the initial phase we will continue to work together, but this is not a handover, it is a collaboration. With the STARscanner™ and the STARband™, it offers the most highly developed cranial remoulding orthosis treatment and service anywhere in the world. We are all excited about this new phase of development, helping to offer parents and their babies a more normal and regular head shape so that these young children will have a better future. We are committed to a successful completion of all babies’ treatments and will continue to give the same high standard of care that our other parents have come to expect.”
Medistox Ltd., part of the IMP Holdings Ltd. group, (winner of the CBI Growing Business Awards “New Product of the Year” Award), is a major supplier of orthotics to the healthcare orthotic industry and end-users. The company has an exclusive supply agreement with Orthomerica for the supply of the STARband™ and the STARlight™ in the UK.
The STARband™ and STARlight™ are custom-made cranial remoulding orthoses used to treat babies from four to eighteen months of age with deformational plagiocephaly, brachycephaly and scaphocephaly, where the head shape has not improved as a result of repositioning therapy. Highly-trained specialist orthotists use the safe and effective STARscanner™ system to speedily and accurately acquire head shape data, which is then used to fabricate an individual STARband™ or STARlight™. Over twelve to sixteen weeks, the orthosis gently moulds the head back to better symmetry and shape as the baby grows.
Www. plagiocephalyuk. co. uk
Notes to editors:
Jo Drake holds a BSc(Hons) degree, is a State Registered Orthotist (SROth) and is a Member of The British Association of Prosthetists and Orthotists (MBAPO). Medistox is the largest provider of cranial remoulding orthoses in the UK, operating three clinics - in Harley Street, Kingston upon Thames and Leeds. Medistox also supplies all other cranial remoulding orthoses from the Orthomerica range, the STARlight™ bivalve, STARlight™ side opening and Clarren™ helmet. The STAR family of orthoses are custom-made cranial remoulding orthoses that gently allow a baby’s head to grow with greater symmetry and improved shape. They do not prevent normal growth from occurring, but provide a pathway for a child's head to grow to a more rounded shape as it develops. Depending on the initial severity of deformity and the baby’s age, a STARband™ or STARlight™ is usually worn for twelve to sixteen weeks. The ideal age to start treatment is four to seven months, but remoulding can be started up to the age of fourteen months. The STARband™ and STARlight™ are manufactured in the US by Orthomerica, Inc., and are supplied exclusively in the UK by Medistox Ltd. Medistox estimates that there are more than 10,000 babies in England and Wales with a significantly flattened head shape. The Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths recommends putting babies to sleep on their backs. This advice has reduced the number of cot deaths by 70%. Medistox endorses the Back to Sleep policy. However, it also encourages parents to recognise that during the day, when awake and supervised, babies should be put on their tummies to play. The STARband™ and STARlight™ have been used effectively on more than 20,000 babies in the US and UK over the past five years. Cases studies and photographs of successfully treated babies are available on request.
For press enquiries, please contact:
Jane Stevenson, STARband™ Press Office
Telephone - 07005 976306
Mobile – 07970 555235
Fax - 07005 976316
Email – press@plagiocephalyuk. co. uk
Stephen Mottram, MBAPO, Dip OTC
Clinical Specialist Orthotist, Cranial Remoulding Specialist
Medistox Ltd., 4 Dyneley Road, Blackburn, BB1 3AB
Telephone - 01254 267400
Dedicated telephone number for STARband™ enquiries – 01254 267409
Fax - 01254 267401
Website - www. plagiocephalyuk. co. uk
Email - info@plagiocephalyuk. co. uk
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