Handing over a rehabilitation plan to your local therapist

The end of rehabilitation abroad is a good time to connect the work of the overseas and local teams. Your next professional needs more than a list of completed sessions: they need the original goals, current abilities and reasoning behind the continuation plan. Start preparing the handover while the treating team is still available for questions.

Identify the receiving professional early

Confirm who will continue care at home and whether they can accept the records. Ask about preferred format, language and transfer method. If no professional has been identified, ask the overseas team to describe the expertise needed so your search is based on the task.

Agree the patient’s permission to exchange information. Avoid sending a complete archive into a general group conversation. A concise agreed summary and handover question can establish the first contact. Keep originals alongside any translations.

Request a report explaining decisions

A useful report covers the starting situation, work undertaken, current observations and proposed next steps. Ask the team to identify its assessment methods and the conditions in which tasks were performed. If goals changed, request a short explanation of why.

Keep unresolved questions visible. When summarising or translating, do not turn a provisional view into a confirmed conclusion. The local professional needs to distinguish decisions already made from matters requiring assessment in the home environment.

Transfer the individual instructions

NHS physiotherapy information describes home activities as a possible part of care. Ask your own team to document the programme actually prescribed, including understandable activity descriptions, restrictions and what to do if difficulties arise. A generic exercise video cannot replace those instructions.

If an instruction is unclear, ask for a demonstration and a check that the patient or companion has understood. Do not add internet exercises to make the programme seem more complete or borrow recommendations from someone with a similar diagnosis.

Check equipment and practical conditions

Record assistive equipment names, relevant settings and the professional responsible for them. Clarify what belongs to the patient, what stays at the centre and what needs to be obtained or assessed at home. Similar appearance does not establish that another device is an appropriate substitute.

Discuss differences between the treatment room and home: space, furniture, stairs and available assistance. Ask what the local professional should check in person. If photographs or video would help, agree safe recording and a suitable transfer method.

Confirm responsibility after return

Arrange the next contact and clarify who can modify the programme. Include the transition in your treatment travel plan and verify institutional details through the hospital directory. Ask the receiving professional to confirm that documents arrived and can be opened. Until the first local appointment, keep the agreed instructions and clinical contacts available. A successful handover leaves the new professional able to understand the plan and the patient knowing whom to ask.