What is the experience of healthcare professionals managing Achilles tendon ruptures in the National Health Service (NHS)?-a qualitative interview study in the United Kingdom.

OBJECTIVE: To explore National Health Service (NHS) healthcare professionals' experiences of delivering rehabilitation for patients with Achilles tendon rupture (ATR). DESIGN: Qualitative study using semistructured interviews and reflexive thematic analysis. SETTING: NHS hospital sites in the United Kingdom, providing non-surgical ATR management using the Leicester Achilles Management Protocol (LAMP). PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-one NHS healthcare professionals, including physiotherapists and orthopaedic consultants with a mean of 10.8 years of clinical experience, purposively sampled based on profession and experience managing ATR. RESULTS: Three main themes were identified: (1) clinical training on Achilles tendon ruptures, (2) rehabilitation following ATR and (3) the NHS service delivering rehabilitation. Participants reported limited training on ATR, leading to reduced confidence and slower rehabilitation progressions. Fear of re-injury influenced clinical decision-making, while discharge decisions were goal-oriented but constrained by service limitations. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights limited clinical training, inconsistent rehabilitation practices and NHS service constraints that collectively slow rehabilitation progress and affect return to sport following ATR. Enhanced training, service development and greater standardisation of ATR rehabilitation pathways are recommended to improve patient outcomes.