Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist First Contact Practitioner

Job overview

We’re looking for an exceptional Physiotherapist to join our MSK Team providing a high quality, patient centred and innovative service. This fixed term contract will be for maternity cover.

This band 7 blended FCP/Physio role will involve providing expert patient-centred assessment, diagnosis and first-line treatment for individual GP practices across the South  Primary Care Networks in a variety  of settings and using a combination of face to face and virtual consultations.

An ability to manage undifferentiated and undiagnosed conditions and identify red flags and underlying serious pathology and take appropriate action is critical to the role. Extensive ongoing MSK experience and knowledge to an advanced level will therefore be essential requirements. A comprehensive understanding of MSK and other integrated health care pathways will also underpin the role.

We look forward to meeting you at interview.

Main duties of the job

The role will require the postholder to run clinics both virtual and face to face in GP practices as part of the First Contact Practitioner service. While   also providing ongoing musculoskeletal (MSK) physiotherapy assessment and treatment as part of the Norfolk and Waveney MSK services.

Both roles will require the post-holder to use specialist theoretical and practical knowledge and undertake the advanced assessment of patients within the speciality who may have simple, moderately or highly complex MSK conditions or a chronic presentation.

Assessments and treatments will take the form of face to face or virtual consultations to enhance patient access to both services.

Flexible hours are an option for this role. Early mornings, evenings may be required. Work bases will vary on need across the South PCNs.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Within the FCP service the post holder

• Will work as an autonomous practitioner and perform frontline patient screening who have self-referred to the GP practice, and to manage undifferentiated and undiagnosed conditions which may not be musculoskeletal in origin.

• Will have knowledge across several different clinical fields in order to triage referrals appropriately. Knowledge and interpretation of general health, organisational and occupational policies together with expert clinical analysis is required for the post holder to assume ultimate responsibility for these decisions.

• Will act independently to assess, analyse and provide a clinical diagnosis for individual patients, using high level complex decision level making to inform the diagnosis, treatment and management and onward referral within scope of practice of a wide range of patients with musculoskeletal conditions from routine to highly complex. A key element of the role will be to be able to quickly identify red flag conditions and/or other underlying serious pathology requiring potential emergency care and take the appropriate action to determine which clinical pathway will be most suitable for the patient.

• Will be required to refer for diagnostics, to analyse the results and take appropriate action by referring to other team and services e.g. in primary and secondary care. The Integrated Therapy Partnership, Primary care, Secondary care, CN&T

• Will act as a source of expertise in the management of musculoskeletal problems and provide training and support to GPs, physiotherapists, other healthcare professionals in the development of the FCP service.

• Will be expected to work and liaise closely with GPs, practice managers, PCN stakeholders and external agencies to enable and ensure quality service provision for their patient caseload and/or client group.

Within the Norfolk and Waveney MSK service the post holder

• Will manage a comprehensive caseload of MSK patients to high professional standards using specialist knowledge from theoretical and practical experience
• Will develop the NoW MSK service so that it continues to meet the requirements of patients ensuring a seamless integrated service
• Will provide supervision, mentoring and training for junior staff within the team.

For full details, please see the attached job description.