What is a First Contact Practitioner Service?
Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions make up to a third of a GPs caseload, and this number increases as patients get older. 85% of these patients do not need to see a GP and can be effectively managed by an experienced MSK clinician, who can see the patient early and give the right advice and intervention individualised to that patient; this is the role of First Contact Physiotherapy Practitioners.
Musculoskeletal First Contact Practitioners (FCPs) have formed part of NHS England’s long-term plan for supporting Primary Care. Pure Unity Health has been delivering FCP into GP practices since 2016 – one of longest serving FCP providers in the country originally and directly funded by NHS England. We now support over 220 Primary Care Networks (PCNs) across England with their FCP MSK services.
Learn more about Pure’s FCP service here:
MSK Challenges faced by Primary Care
Variable confidence in managing
MSK conditions
Continued growth in MSK demand
Increasing pressure on practice
staff and PCNs
FCP physios can help
Reduce the burden and pressure on GPs for patients with MSK complaints
Streamline the MSK pathway
Enable ‘right person, right place, first time’
Make it easier for patients to access specialist MSK knowledge and skills
Benefits of FCP
- Quicker access to expert assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of MSK conditions.
- Longer appointments with MSK specialists for a thorough evaluation and onward management planning.
- Feeling listened to and empowered to manage conditions with fantastic patient feedback.
- Faster treatment for short-term issues and improved long-term management for chronic conditions, reducing strain on GPs.
- Improved overall patient satisfaction and MSK health awareness.
- Expert advice from physiotherapists to promote healthy lifestyle choices impacting on other aspects of health such as weight, mental health and diet.
- Reduced analgesic prescriptions particularly with opioids and gabapentinoids.
- Reduction in referrals to secondary care such as orthopaedics with an increase in conversion rate to those going onto require surgical or secondary care interventions.
- Over 90% of patients seen within the FCP service do not require further GP or primary care clinician input, and can be fully managed within the FCP service and appropriate onward referral.
Contact us today to see how we can help your PCN or practice
Benefits for GPs
Studies have proven using First Contact Practitioners makes life easier for GPs and the practices they work in:
- Reduced GP workload, freeing GPs for urgent appointments and improving overall care.
- Fewer appointments & lower prescription costs, streamlining care and reducing spending.
- FCPs manage their own workload and complete tasks currently done by GPs.
- Improved practice efficiency: less pressure, more leadership.
- Higher quality care for patients presenting with musculoskeletal problems with dedicated musculoskeletal specialists within the practice.
Benefits for Physiotherapists
- Early intervention to treat patients before conditions become chronic.
- Ability to treat patients immediately as the first point of contact.
- Empowerment in the ability to self-manage.
- Exposure to more diverse and challenging caseloads.
- Opportunity for a mixed level of physiotherapists.
- Pathways for skill development and professional growth.
- Opportunity to collaborate with other professionals to deepen industry understanding.
- Strong partnership between Primary Care and physiotherapy.
Pure’s Award Winning FCP Support
Experience
Delivering tried and tested ready to go FCP solutions since 2016.
Governance
Full accreditation and governance accepted by over 220 PCN services across the country.
Confidence
Expert team of more than 450 FCPs working to NHSE’s prescribed governance structure.
Education
Working with PCNs and universities, informing best practice through research.
Learn more about Pure’s FCP service here: