We increased the coverage of physiotherapy services from approximately 3% to 15% and improved communication and reporting, resulting in a significant positive impact of the physiotherapy pilot programme called First Contact Practitioner (FCP). We also developed a regional FCP pack to increase awareness and replication of the programme in other regions, leading to improved delivery of FCP services across the regions.

Background

The First Contact Practitioner (FCP) programme aimed to bring physiotherapists into primary care to support General Practitioners (GPs) with the increasing number of patients seeking musculoskeletal care.​

The NHSE North Elective Care team initiated six pilots and NHS Midlands and Lancashire’s (NHS ML) Improvement Unit was approached to support the team, as they reported low FCP coverage and no clear reporting structure.​

Action

​We developed a three-stage plan to address the issue. ​

Stage 1 – Current position was evaluated, and communication and reporting between the national programme, NHSE regional teams, and Integrated Care System (ICS) developed pilots were improved. ​

Stage 2 – Other FCP delivery across the North was investigated to achieve the national target of 15% FCP coverage. ​

Stage 3 – Success of the FCP programme was celebrated, and a regional FCP pack was developed, enabling regional conversations on FCP delivery.​

Impact

The impact of the FCP pilot programme has been significant, with a number of positive outcomes achieved. The pilots’ position has been improved through the establishment of clear engagement channels with all pilots. This has ensured that their feedback is heard and acted upon, resulting in increased confidence in the programme.​

The coverage of FCP across the regions has increased from approximately 3% to 15%. This increase in coverage has been achieved through the engagement of more practices and the standardisation of reporting methods, which has increased confidence in reporting FCP pilot figures from the systems.​

There has been a clear oversight of the FCP programme from the national FCP programme, which has provided support and guidance to the pilots. This has been important in ensuring that the programme is successful and achieves its objectives.​

The success of all types of FCP delivery has been championed across the two NHSEI regions, and a regional pack has been developed and delivered to the regions. This has increased awareness of independent pilots reporting FCP delivery, with ten additional pilots recognised and eight developing deliveries.​

The success of the FCP programme has increased awareness across the region of the national programme and how to deliver FCP pilots. This has been important in ensuring that the programme is sustainable and can be replicated in other regions. Overall, the impact of the FCP pilot programme has been positive, with significant achievements made in improving the delivery of FCP services across the regions.​