Evaluation of the Musculoskeletal First Contact Practitioner (MSK-FCP) Service

Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions account for 30% of the GP workload in England. A First Contact Practitioner (FCP) physiotherapist has the skills to assess, diagnose and manage MSK problems and as part of the MSK-FCP Service patients with MSK conditions can see a FCP instead of a GP. The local MSK-FCP pilot was hosted by four NHS North Norfolk CCG practices in the NN1 locality and it was implemented on a hub model.

This evaluation was carried out by the Norfolk and Suffolk Primary and Community Care Research Office on behalf of Norfolk and Waveney STP. The aim of the evaluation was to assess the impact of the local MSK-FCP Service on healthcare use and on patient experience, running from January 2019 to June 2019.

The report and a poster of the evaluation are available below.