Do you suffer from bone, joint or muscle pain? Did you know you can see a First Contact Practitioner – or FCP for short – at the surgery? Our specialist Physiotherapists can treat patients with musculoskeletal problems (MSK).
The FCP will:
- Assess you and diagnose what’s happening
- Give expert advice on how best to manage your condition
- Recommend exercises and other approaches to deal with the issue
- Refer you on to specialist services if necessary
A national evaluation of this service showed that patients have:
- Faster access to specialist expertise
- Fewer onwards referrals to see a hospital consultant
- 95% don’t require a follow up with a GP on average
The diagram below shows an example of the timescales for the traditional MSK route via a referral by the GP vs the new FCP pathway:
Patients, over the age of 16 with MSK conditions, can now bypass appointments with a GP and go straight to get specialist help with our advanced physiotherapists. Ask at Reception to make an appointment. The types of MSK conditions include:
- Joint pain
- Tendon or ligament problems
- Muscle pain
- Neck, back, shoulder and knee pain
- Tennis elbow
- Sporting or other soft tissue injuries
- Osteoarthitis
- Trapped nerves
- Sciatica
FCPs CANNOT see you:
- if you are feeling unwell
- if you are under 16 years of age
- for medical management of rheumatoid conditions
- for women’s health, antenatal and post-natal problems
- for medication reviews
- for neurological and respiratory conditions
- for headaches
- for mental health crises