First Contact PhysiotherapistinGatesheadinGatesheadPUBLISHED THU 13 MAR 2025

Primary Care Physio is England's largest leading national independent specialist first contact primary care provider who is purely focused on supporting NHS Primary Care Networks (PCNs) and their GP practices to deliver high-quality and tech-enabled NHS primary care FCP solutions across Physiotherapy and Podiatry.

Through our talented team of over 335 First Contact Physios, First Contact Podiatrists, & Advanced Practitioners, who are supported by experienced and Health Education England approved FCP Roadmap to Practice clinical supervisors, we have been commissioned by over 175 NHS Primary Care Networks (PCNs) to deliver an integrated and local FCP managed service.

We now serve around 15% of all GP practices in the country, and a patient population of over 8 million

Locally, we have been commissioned by several PCNs in the ICB area to deliver a high-quality and fully-managed FCP service.

With us, you get the best of both worlds. You become an integrated and consistent MDT team member in the GP practice team you work with, but also gain a huge amount of professional peer support and clinical supervision via our talented and expansive nationwide team.

Please don't pay too much attention to the location postcode used for this advert - these PCN FCP roles can serve several GP practices locally so there is large flexibility on site(s) of working.

Please note that we are not able to offer a Certificate of Sponsorship.

To apply, you should be a fully HCPC and CSP registered physiotherapist with at least 5 years post-graduate experience, including 3 years of relevant MSK clinical experience in line with HEE's Roadmap to Practice.

You should be a confident MSK practitioner and communicator who thrives from engaging with a variety of colleagues internally and within the GP practice multidisciplinary teams you are integrated into.

You should be a driven personality and passionate about developing your clinical skills to become the very best diagnostic clinician you can become.

You should be flexible to the changing fast-paced nature of working in primary care and rise to the challenges it presents.

You should be naturally innovative, appreciate the role digital plays in healthcare services, and enjoy looking for ways to improve services and support Primary Care Physio to continue to deliver evidence-based best practice where you work.

About us

Clinical Practice

• Assess, diagnose, triage, and manage patients, taking responsibility for the management of a complex caseload. You will progress and request investigations when trained to do so (such as x-rays and blood tests) and referrals to facilitate diagnosis and choice of treatment.
• Develop and make use of your full scope of clinical practice, including skills relating to independent prescribing, injection therapy and investigation when trained to do so.
• Manage complex interactions, including working with patients with psychosocial and mental health needs, referring to social prescribing when appropriate.
• Deliver programmes of supported patient self-management, in ways that facilitate behavioural change, optimise individuals' physical activity, mobility, fulfilment of personal goals and independence, and that minimise the need for pharmacological interventions.
• Provide care that is tailored to the individual needs. This would include, appraising the impact of individuals' clinical status on their general health, well-being, employment status (including in relation to function, physical activity, mobility and independence).
• Support patients to set their own goals and be confident in their approach to self-management.

Evidence, Research, and Development

• Develop relationships and a collaborative working approach across the PCN supporting the integration of pathways in primary care.
• Work as part of an MDT in a patient-facing role, using your expert knowledge of MSK issues, to create stronger links for wider MSK services through clinical leadership, teaching and evaluation skills.
• Support research and audit programmes to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of our FCP service.
• Streamline the pathway of care by providing a responsive service so that patients receive timely access to care.

Leadership

• Lead, manage and contribute to service delivery.
• Implement all aspects of effective clinical governance for own practice, including undertaking regular audit and evaluation, supervision and training.
• Communicate effectively and appropriately, with patients and carers, complex and sensitive information regarding diagnosis, pathology, prognosis and treatment choices supporting personalised care.

Facilitating learning

• Provide feedback and support to other PCN clinical team members on appropriate referral criteria.
• Critically reflect on your own practice, and continue to develop your skills.