Between 20 and 30% of a GP caseload is made up of patients with musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions; by expanding the availability of physiotherapy in general practice, GP time is freed up and patients are put in the driving seat, receiving the right care from the right professional. Physiotherapists are experts regarding MSK issues and have the same high safety record as GPs.
There are already examples of experienced physiotherapists working alongside GPs as the first point of contact for MSK patients. These examples show high patient and GP satisfaction rates, decreased x-ray, MRI and orthopaedic referrals.
The CSP has produced a suite of documents on our new primary care landing page which explain the benefits of physiotherapy in primary care, these include:
- Physiotherapy Works for Primary Care – a CSP policy briefing with the evidence and examples of this working in practice.
- A short animation showing the benefits of physiotherapy in primary care.
- Joint guidance for GPs, commissioners and physiotherapists about GP Physiotherapy roles, produced with the RCGP and the BMA.
You can access all of the above by visiting the CSP website at www.csp.org.uk/primarycare.