Our First Contact Practitioners (FCP) are physiotherapists who are experts in the assessment of MSK problems. The FCPs work as part of the GP practice team and are available to see instead of your GP, if you have a muscle, joint or soft tissue problem.
Our FCPs are highly skilled, and can offer services such as joint and soft tissue injections, prescribing medications, and referral for investigations to help diagnose the problem.
At your appointment the First Contact Practitioner (FCP) will assess your symptoms and discuss your treatment options. They will provide you with a diagnosis, and may talk to you about self-management advice, or provide you with exercises.
If clinically indicated, they may suggest an onward referral to another service which could be for example a course of physiotherapy treatment, to podiatry, or to orthotics.
The FCP can arrange for investigations such as x rays, scans, and blood tests. They can answer any questions and help you decide how best to manage your condition.
The First Contact Practitioner will discuss the range of treatment options with you and can refer you to see other specialists such as hospital consultants where this is the right thing for you. The FCP may order investigations to help decide what is the best course of action.
Sometimes, other treatments such as a course of physiotherapy may mean you do not need to see a hospital consultant.
The FCP service is available to anyone who is registered with a GP practice in West Cheshire.
To access this service you can book an appointment directly by asking your doctor’s reception team.
In many cases, the appointment will take place in your own practice. In some instances, you may be offered an appointment in a nearby clinic, but this will not affect the care you will receive.
FCP clinics are located in GP practices across Western Cheshire.
We provide clinics based in GP practices from Monday to Friday, between 8:00am and 5:00pm.
Your GP reception team will be able to tell you what times are available in your practice.
