North Wales Officer, Beverley Humphries visited the Police Treatment Centre for her first visit following a serious incident on duty. The incident resulted in surgery and her being unfit to return to work for 4 months following.
Beverly has 6 years’ service behind her all of which have been within North Wales as a Response Officer, which very much meant her needing to be fit and well to carry out the varied activities that working in response presents.
On 30 April 2012 Beverly and one of her colleague were called out to an
assault case, upon arriving on scene the gentleman concerned fled and broke into a stolen vehicle taking his two young children with him (neither of which were safely fastened in imposing a safety risk particularly due to their ages, a baby and toddler) and thus putting them at risk. Beverly and her colleague chased the vehicle into a dead-end road at which point Beverly jumped out of the police car and ran and opened the stolen vehicles car. The individual concerned at this point put the car into reverse and Beverly was caught and dragged with the car a few feet, causing severe injury and damage to her leg.
The criminal was arrested and the children safely returned to their mother, but Beverly was not so lucky. She had a shattered tibia and her knee bone had split, all of which she found out upon being sent to hospital.
Even that was not plain sailing for poor Beverly, she was admitted to A&E and sent home being advised she had tissue damage. The following day she received a phone call from the hospital asking her to come back in as the consultant that had come on that day had re-examined the x-rays and seen there was greater damage than first thought. Beverly returned to hospital for some more detailed scanning and following the results, advised she would need surgery the following day for a knee bone and cartilage repair operation.
Beverly spent a further 9 days in hospital after the operation and was then assigned some physiotherapy through the NHS, one session every 2 weeks to try and help her move/bend her knee. For the first 12 weeks following the surgery she was unable to put any weight on her leg and as such being using crutches in order to try and get about and the first 10 weeks had her leg in a brace to keep everything in place. Towards the end of the 12 week period she was recommended a visit to the Police Treatment Centres through her occupational health department. The whole process took just three weeks, upon completing and returning the forms to the centre and being offered a date to come in and visit.
Monday 6 August, Beverly first arrived at the centre in Harrogate on two crutches. Within four days she was able to walk with just one, and hopes to be leaving the centre without them altogether.
When asked what she thought of the centre, Beverley responded by saying,
“
It’s fantastic! …. What Tom has done in five days is more than they managed through the NHS in 10 weeks how is that right. If I wasn’t a police officer and didn’t have this place, I really don’t think I would ever be the same again!”
Beverly’s treatment plan has focused around, the majority of her time at least one session, if not two a day with physio, complimented by hydrotherapy exercise in the pool, twice a day and whilst most classes have not been possible, has enjoyed sampling the relaxation and adapting the stretch class to suit her needs.
When the physiotherapy began at the start of her week, her tendons were shrivelled up and tight, and the physio treatment has focused around deep tissue rubs and stretching to help repair the area. Her flexibility was measured at 85 degrees upon arriving and within five days has already increased to 110 (the norm is 180 degrees). Beverly could not even cross her legs when sitting when she entered the centre and is now already within just five days feeling a huge improvement.
Beverly has also enjoyed the change of environment and peaceful location the centre provides. It has helped give her something to focus on with being out of work and hopes to be in a position to go back on light duties next month, something she really didn’t think would be possible before her visit to the Treatment Centres.
When asked if Beverly would recommend this place to a colleague, she responded by telling us,
“
Absolutely! It’s silly, people think it will never happen to me, I did, I never expected anything like this to happen, but unfortunately it can!”
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