I am a First Contact Physiotherapist working across 7 of the PCN sites. FCPs are senior physiotherapists with expertise in the assessment and management of Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions. My role is to work on a consultancy basis for all the surgeries, to assess patients with soft tissue, muscle and joint pain, provide a preliminary diagnosis and decide on the most appropriate management pathway. You can call any of the surgery receptions to book an appointment with me or my fellow FCP Karen. I provide telephone or face to face appointments, but I would usually speak to you by phone first to discuss your symptoms, and then decide whether a face to face appointment is needed. Please be aware that this is not a traditional physio service as I don’t see patient’s multiple times for the same condition.
I’m able to assess the following without the need to refer to a GP first:
- All soft tissue injuries, sprains, strains or sports injuries
- Arthritis – any joint
- Possible problems with muscles, ligaments, tendons or bone, eg tennis elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, ankle sprains
- Spinal pain including lower back pain, mid-back pain and neck pain
- Spinal-related pain in arms or legs, including nerve symptoms, eg pins and needles or numbness
