First Contact Physiotherapists

First Contact Physiotherapists (FCP)

This initiative bases physiotherapists with advanced skills, in GP surgeries across County Durham. It’s estimated that 1 in 5 GP appointments are for musculoskeletal (MSK) related conditions such as joint aches and pains, muscular injuries, sciatica and osteoarthritis. The Physiotherapists are able to make the initial assessment and, in many cases then diagnose and recommend appropriate treatment or refer patients for further investigation.

The service has been engaging with service users to gain feedback from those patients who received a telephone assessment from the FCP and are seeking to understand whether experiences of the service are meeting expectations.

The engagement was also aiming at understanding whether service users required further input from your GP or other health care providers.

Read more about the FCP service.