The NHS Long Term Plan
   • Bridge gap between Primary and Community Care
   • Focus on Population health
   • Creation of PCN’s – Care to meet the needs of 
   community
   • Wider range of skills in Primary care to offload GP’s
   • Personalised Care
   • Ease burden on hospitals 
  What is First Contact Physiotherapy (FCP)?
  • Physiotherapists working in Primary Care
  • First point of contact for patients with musculoskeletal 
  pain (muscles and joints)
  • Alternative to the GP.
  • Aim to provide early access to specialist knowledge and 
  assessment.
  • Majority of aches and pains resolve with the right advice
  • Usually one appointment
  • It is NOT a course of ongoing Physiotherapy
     Why is it needed?
      • Up to 1/3 of GP appointments can be 
         Musculoskeletal  (Muscles, Joints and Bones)
      • Shortage of GP’s and appointments
      • Long waits for community Physio services
      FCP services have demonstrated:
      •   Fewer referrals for Xrays and scans
      •   Fewer prescriptions
      •   Fewer referrals to secondary care
      •   More appropriate surgical referrals.
        Who is it for?
          Inclusion                                          Exclusion
          •   All soft tissue injuries, sprains, strains     •   Acutely unwell
              or sports injuries                             •   Children under 14
          •   Arthritis – any joint                          •   Medical management of rheumatoid 
          •   Possible problems with muscles,                    conditions
              ligaments, tendons or bone (e.g.               •   Women’s health, antenatal and 
              tennis elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome,              postnatal problems
              ankle sprains)                                 •   House-bound patients
          •   Spinal pain including lower back pain,         •   Medication reviews for non-MSK 
              mid-back pain and neck pain                        conditions
          •    Spinal-related pain in arms or legs,          •   Neurological / respiratory conditions
              including nerve symptoms (e.g. pins            •   Headaches
              and needles or numbness)                       •   Acute mental health crises
          •   Post-orthopaedic surgery                       •   Patients who do not want to see an 
                                                                 FCP
    Patient Screening       Do you have a problem that 
                            affects your neck, back, joints, 
                            muscles?
                                   YES
                              Are you also feeling 
                              unwell at the moment? 
                              Or currently under the 
                              GP for this problem?
                  YES
                                                    YES