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Advice for patients with a cast

Patient information A-Z

This leaflet has been written to help you care for you and your cast and answers many commonly asked questions.

  • Keep the cast dry.
  • Keep the limb elevated whenever possible.
  • Exercise all joints not included in the cast.
  • Do not insert anything into the cast to relieve itching.

Contact us if you experience any of the following

  • Change of colour or sensation in your fingers and toes
  • Problems in movement
  • Increasing or persistent pain
  • Friction or rubbing in the cast at high risk areas - Heels, elbows base of thumb and wrist.
  • Swelling / redness / pain especially in the calf – this may be the sign of a deep vein thrombosis (DVT)

How we can be contacted

Cast queries only. Appointment queries see below.

Clinic 1 plaster room, weekdays 08:00 to 17:30, telephone: 01223 217772

Accident and emergency, all other times, telephone: 01223 217118

Appointment queries

Addenbrooke's call centre telephone: 01223 806000

Ask for Clinic 1 reception, open weekdays 08:30 to 17:00,

Useful website: Fracture Info (opens in a new tab) for general information, on fractures, cast management, removal and bracing.

We are smoke-free

Smoking is not allowed anywhere on the hospital campus. For advice and support in quitting, contact your GP or the free NHS stop smoking helpline on 0800 169 0 169.

Other formats

Help accessing this information in other formats is available. To find out more about the services we provide, please visit our patient information help page (see link below) or telephone 01223 256998. www.cuh.nhs.uk/contact-us/accessible-information/

Contact us

Cambridge University Hospitals
NHS Foundation Trust
Hills Road, Cambridge
CB2 0QQ

Telephone +44 (0)1223 245151
https://www.cuh.nhs.uk/contact-us/contact-enquiries/