Gretl A. McHugh

Oct 14, 2023 | onlinelibrary.wiley.com | Kirsten Lamb |Christine Comer |Nicola Walsh |Gretl A. McHugh

1 INTRODUCTION In the last 6 years, the number of First Contact Practitioner Physiotherapist (FCPP) roles in the UK has increased significantly, from initial small, local pilot schemes (Salmon et al., 2017), to a commitment statement in the NHS Long Term Plan (2019) to ensure that all adults in England with a musculoskeletal (MSK) condition will have direct access to MSK First Contact Practitioners by 2023/24.

Aug 22, 2023 | onlinelibrary.wiley.com | Anna Anderson |Musculoskeletal Medicine |Gretl A. McHugh |Christine Comer

1 INTRODUCTION Total knee replacement (TKR) is a transformative operation for many patients with end-stage knee osteoarthritis.1 Correspondingly, the worldwide demand for TKR is high and growing.1 Large numbers of patients face lengthy waits for TKR, especially since the start of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.2 During their wait, patients typically experience severe pain and difficulty with daily activities.2 Even after TKR, around 10%–20% of patients report poor outcomes,...

Jul 23, 2023 | onlinelibrary.wiley.com | Kirsten Lamb |Christine Comer |Nicola Walsh |Gretl A. McHugh

Abstract Background First Contact Physiotherapy (FCP) is part of the drive to increase General Practice (GP) capacity by providing access to expert musculoskeletal (MSK) Physiotherapists in GP surgeries. For the FCP model to provide effective MSK care at the start of the patient's journey, it is essential that patients are directed to FCP appointments in a timely manner. It is therefore important to know how patients are accessing FCP appointments.