Do you want to find groups and support in the community that might help you improve your health and wellbeing? You can find lots of local support from charities to social groups in the Arc Bucks PCN Directory.
Musculoskeletal First Contact Practitioners (FCP) are highly skilled and regulated practitioners at the first point of contact in primary care.
Because they are based in primary care, FCPs can be accessed in the same way as GPs (i.e. via the receptionist or the practice’s online booking system) or through a local triage process. Most FCPs can be in a variety of primary care settings including general practices, hubs, and same day access centres. These are often closer to where patients live (compared to hospital settings).
This means that a patient presenting to a GP practice with a musculoskeletal condition can see a FCP at their first appointment, accelerating their assessment, treatment plan and (if appropriate) investigations and referral, along with saving both time and resources within the growing demands on general practice and secondary care.
Most FCP appointments are about 20 minutes and, like most GP appointments, are delivered face to face.
In this session, FCPs can assess and diagnose. Potential interventions can include:
