First Contact Practitioner Posted or Updated on 25 May 2023

The First Contact Physiotherapist (FCP) role positions highly skilled and regulated Musculoskelatal (MSK) Practitioners at the first point of contact in primary care i.e. General Practice.

This means that a patient presenting with an MSK condition can see an FCP at their first appointment, without seeing the GP first (provided they fit the criteria). The FCP will provide their MSK assessment, triage, treatment plan and (where appropriate) investigations and referral, along with saving both time and resources within primary care teams. To do this the FCP will use advanced clinical skills and clinical reasoning.

The FCP will assess the patient to identify RED flags, serious pathology and potential underlying non-MSK related disease, that may present as MSK symptoms and refer appropriately.

Primarily patients should be booked directly into the FCP clinic via the GP reception team.

This service is available for patients aged 16 and over.