What is a First Contact Practitioner (FCP) Service?

If you contact your GP surgery with musculoskeletal pain, your GP may refer you to an FCP. You will receive an appointment with a specialist musculoskeletal physiotherapist. The FCP will be able to assess you. They can provide information on appropriate individualised rehabilitation and management.

Musculoskeletal FCPs form part of NHS England’s long-term plan to:

• Reduce the burden on GPs for patients with MSK complaints.

• Streamline the MSK pathway.

• ‘Right person, right place, first time’.

• Make it easier for patients to access specialist MSK knowledge and skills.

A Vital Role in Primary Care

MSK conditions make up a third of a GP’s caseload. This number grows as patients age. An experienced MSK clinician can manage 85% of these patients without the need to see a GP.

• FCPs reduce pressure on primary care networks (PCNs) and frontline staff.

• Patients have immediate access to expert MSK clinicians with full clinical governance.

• Enhanced expertise, education and resources on MSK issues accessible for all PCN staff.

Self-Care

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To understand a little more about the FCP service, you can watch this short video.