Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and Coastal Primary Care Network (PCN) are celebrating five years of a service in March that has helped more than 18,000 patients get faster access to specialist musculoskeletal (MSK) care.
The First Contact Practitioner (FCP) service gives patients direct access to experienced physiotherapists at their first point of contact with their GP surgery.
They have advanced skills to assess, diagnose and recommend appropriate treatment or referral for MSK problems. This means patients get the right care first time and helps to reduce the pressure on GP appointments.
Since launching in March 2021, over 18,000 patients have benefitted from the FCP service across Coastal PCN.
Dr Ros Sexton and Paula Pearce from Coastal PCN, said: “The FCP service has demonstrably improved patient access and clinical outcomes, while also making a meaningful contribution to reducing pressure on other areas within general practice, particularly GP appointments. This has been of considerable value to the PCN and to our wider system.”
Coastal PCN consists of Brook Lane Surgery, Lockswood Surgery and Stubbington Medical Practice, serving a largely suburban population between Portsmouth and Southampton.
“Overall, this is a well-established, high-quality service that we view as integral to our model of care,” they added.
Patients seeking an appointment with the FCP service can request an appointment through their surgery’s care navigators, or by completing an E-consult online.
