First Contact Practitioner

First Contact Practitioner or Physiotherapist? 

First Contact Practitioner appointments are available at Salisbury Medical Practice.  
 
Typically found in primary care settings, First Contact Practitioners serve as the first point of contact for patients who need an immediate and often one-off assessment of musculoskeletal concerns, with the aim of triaging to the appropriate service as soon as possible. FCPs have undergone further training vs. a physiotherapist, and have advanced skills to quickly assess, diagnose and recommend appropriate treatment for patients, initiating a pathway for onward care only. This is different from a standard ‘hands-on’ physiotherapy appointment, where manual therapy is offered and patients are typically seen over multiple sessions, with treatment plans that evolve based on progress.
 
The FCP service is suitable for patients who have joint, muscle and/or nerve pain and enables them to directly see a FCP instead of a GP. All FCP’s are trained to identify red flag symptoms which may require urgent medical attention and they work closely with GPs to ensure patients get to see the most appropriate clinician as soon as possible. 

If appropriate, an FCP may:

• Provide exercise and self-management advice 
• Refer for imaging (X-Ray/MRI/Ultrasound scan) 
• Refer for blood tests 
• Ask appropriate medication to be prescribed 
• Refer to secondary health service e.g. Rheumatology, Orthopaedics, Orthotics or Physiotherapy

In an alternative pathway, patients can self-refer to the Adult Physiotherapy Service where a physiotherapist directly treats a range of conditions that affect both joints, muscles and nerves. Physiotherapy appointments are NOT offered at or bookable via SMP, and more information about this service - including the Self-Referral Form, can be found here. 
 
For reference, physiotherapists cover a broad scope of varying patient needs from post-operative rehab to chronic pain management. Manual therapy, exercises and alternative treatments such as acupuncture may form part of the appointment and/or rehabilitation plan following a physical examination.