Physio First Point of Contact
Whitewater Health now has a MSK First Point Contact Clinic.
The aim is to provide direct access to Physiotherapy assessment and review.
This is a triage service to assess patients with soft tissue, muscle and joint pain and to decide on the most appropriate management pathway.
The MSK First Point Contact Clinic. will complete a full assessment, provide a working diagnosis and support patients in appropriate next steps – this will include advice and recommendations, self help strategies, rehabilitation exercises, access to educational resources and onward referral where necessary for treatment. The service at the surgery is not a treatment service.
This service operates on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays between the hours of 8.30-12.30 and 14.00- 17:00 operating from our Hook and Hartley Wintney sites.
The First Contact Practitioner service is a way for Musculoskeletal (MSK) Specialists to work side-by-side with GPs in local GP practices. At Hook these Physiotherapists assess
patients with problems with their muscles, bones or joints.
We offer this service so that patients can see an MSK specialist as soon as possible. These clinicians are vital to support our GPs and they work in GP surgeries to offer:
- An assessment of patients with symptoms of a musculoskeletal problem as an alternative to them seeing their GP.
- Early advice exercises for patients who haven’t had their symptoms very long.
- An opinion on the best MSK pathway for more complex patients, who are then directed into the integrated MSK hub service in Basingstoke
Inclusion Criteria (only patients > 16 years of age)All soft tissue injuries, sprains, strains or sports injuries Arthritis - any joint Possible problems with muscles, ligaments, tendons or bone, e.g. tennis elbow, carpel tunnel syndrome or ankle sprains Spinal pain including lower back pain, mid-back pain and neck pain Spinal-related pain in arms or legs, including nerve symptoms, e.g. pins and needles or numbness Changes to walking
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Exclusion CriteriaAcutely unwell Children under 16 Medical management of rheumatoid conditions Women's health, antenatal and postnatal problems House-bound patients Medication reviews Neurological and respiratory conditions Headaches Acute mental health crises Patients who do not want to see a FCP |