Physiotherapists
Physiotherapy is a degree based healthcare profession which help people affected by injury, illness or disability through movement and exercise, manual therapy, education and advice. Physiotherapists are regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) is their professional body.
National Initiatives and research have shown how a broad range of professions, including physiotherapists can contribute to providing safe, effective, timely care and advanced clinical practice roles in primary care such as First Contact Practitioners (FCPs) are starting to emerge.
Read the specification for First Contact Practitioner services for MSK conditions from NHS England/Improvement
Health Education England resources:
- Health Education England MSK FCP page and short videos about MSK FCPs
- The First Contact Practitioners and Advanced Practitioners in Primary Care: (Musculoskeletal) A Roadmap to Practice – a clear educational pathway from undergraduate to advanced practice for clinicians wishing to pursue a career in primary care.
- HEE have developed an MSK FCP Implementation Guide as a ‘how-to’ for introducing these new roles, covering capability frameworks, governance issues and practical advice that draws on case studies in areas already offering the service
The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, Royal College of General Practitioners and the British Medical Association have developed a guide on the implementation of First Contact Physiotherapy posts in General Practice which provides further information on the benefits of this emerging new role.
Delegation to physiotherapy support workers is important and should be underpinned by robust governance arrangements, to ensure tasks and responsibilities remain safe and effective. The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy has published a guide outlining give principles for developing effective governance arrangements and how to put these principles into practice.
The CPD Zone is brought to you by the GP schools of Health Education England working across Thames Valley and Wessex, in association with Oxford Health FT Library.
Page last reviewed: 27 November, 2020