Helping your PCN manage
MSK related workload
across your practices
MSK related workload
across your practices
Primary Care Physio is the leading provider of first contact physiotherapy (FCP) and podiatry services in the UK. We support nearly 200 NHS Primary Care Networks (PCNs), 37 ICBs and over 1000 GP practices utilising FCPs to manage MSK workload.
If you are a PCN looking to utilise ARRS funding to implement an FCP service, we offer a cost-effective solution that enables your member practices to benefit from a high-quality service without any of the employment or clinical supervision liability.
About us
Primary Care Physio is England's largest national independent specialist first contact physiotherapy provider who is purely focused on supporting NHS Primary Care Networks (PCNs) and their GP practices to deliver high-quality and tech-enabled NHS primary care FCP solutions.
Through our talented team of nearly 400 MSK FCPs, Advanced Practitioners and podiatrists, who are all supported by experienced and Health Education England trained FCP clinical supervisors, we have been commissioned by nearly 200 NHS Primary Care Networks (PCNs) to deliver an integrated and local FCP managed service to a population of over 9 million patients.
The positive impact of first contact physiotherapists working in primary care
Low back pain and neck pain are the greatest cause of years lost to disability in the UK, with chronic joint pain or osteoarthritis affecting more than 8.75 million people. In addition, musculoskeletal conditions also account for 30% of all GP appointments.
By 2024, all adults in England should be able to see a musculoskeletal first contact practitioner at their local GP practice without being referred by a GP.
The vast majority of musculoskeletal first contact practitioners are physiotherapists with enhanced skills. They can help patients with musculoskeletal issues such as back, neck and joint pain by:
- Assessing and diagnosing issues
- Giving expert advice on how best to manage their conditions.
- Referring them onto specialist services if necessary.
By making it easier for patients to access skilled MSK practitioners, patients will have quicker access to diagnosis and treatment, helping them to manage their conditions more effectively and recover faster, so they can get back to normal life quickly. They will help GPs to manage their workload more effectively, and reduce the need for onward referrals.
Primary care FCPs can help patients with musculoskeletal issues
such as back, neck and joint pain:
such as back, neck and joint pain:
Assessing and diagnosing issues
Giving expert advice on how best to manage their conditions
Referring them onto specialist services if necessary
Reducing GP workload
By making it easier for patients to access an experienced physiotherapist or podiatrist without needing to see a GP first, patients will have quicker access to diagnosis and treatment, helping them to manage their conditions more effectively and recover faster, so they can get back to normal life quickly. Through their advanced clinical skills and acting as a true first point of contact, our FCPs help to reduce GP workload as well as reducing unnecessary patient referrals into secondary and community care services.
What PCN Clinical Directors say about our service...
