First Contact Physiotherapist
The Street Lane Practice
Leeds, LS8 1AYView on map(opens Google Maps in a new tab)
Salary
£30.60
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Not specified
Closing date
18 October 2026
20 days leftJob description
Are you ready to be the first point of contact for musculoskeletal care and making a real difference from the very first conversation? As our First Co...
As our FCP Physio, you will act as the first point of contact for patients presenting with undifferentiated MSK conditions, working autonomously alongside GP colleagues. Your core duties include:
- Autonomous Assessment & Diagnosis: Take sole responsibility for face-to-face and remote consultations, taking a comprehensive history and conducting physical examinations to form a working diagnosis.
- Clinical Decision-Making: Independently agree and initiate management plans, including prescribing analgesia, referring for imaging (X-ray, MRI, ultrasound), ordering blood tests, and making onward referrals to secondary care (e.g., orthopaedics, rheumatology) or community services like physiotherapy and podiatry.
- Risk Stratification & Safety Netting: Identify red flags, serious pathology (e.g., cauda equina, malignancy, fracture), and psychosocial barriers to recovery. Provide clear safety-netting advice and arrange appropriate urgent follow-up or escalation.
- Patient Self-Management: Deliver evidence-based advice, exercise prescription, and health promotion to empower patients to manage their condition and reduce unnecessary GP or A&E attendances.
- Liaison & MDT Working: Work closely with GPs, practice nurses, pharmacists, and social prescribers. Monthly FCP IST training.
- Record Keeping: Maintain accurate, contemporaneous records in the practice clinical system (e.g., EMIS, SystmOne) using agreed templates and coding.
Scope of the Clinical Role
1.
point of contact for expert clinical assessment and diagnosis of patients
presenting with MSK conditions in primary care. This will include patients who
present with a range of complex musculoskeletal conditions and/or multiple
pathologies and/or mental health and/or pain management needs and underlying
pathologies/other primary conditions.
2.
Use
advanced clinical practice skills and clinical reasoning to provide
comprehensive treatment and management support to patients who present with
complex musculoskeletal conditions.
3.
independently, without in-person day to day supervision, to assess, diagnose,
triage, and manage patients, taking responsibility for prioritising and
managing a caseload of the PCNs Registered Patients whilst liaising with the
Professional Lead where appropriate.
4. Develop integrated and tailored care programmes in
a.
effective
shared decision-making with a range of first line management options
(appropriate for a patients level of activation).
b.
assessing
levels of Patient Activation to support a patients own level of knowledge,
skills and confidence to self-manage their conditions, ensuring they are able
to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of self-management interventions,
particularly for those at low levels of activation.
c.
agreeing
with patients appropriate support for self-management through referral to
rehabilitation focussed services and wider social prescribing as appropriate.
d.
designing
and implementing plans that facilitate behavioural change, optimise patients
physical activity and mobility, support fulfilment of personal goals and
independence, and reduce the need for pharmacological interventions.
e.
utilisation
of an exercise program platform for patients treatment programs with supportive
SMS/emails.
5.
recognise where diagnostic tests including routine and specialist x-rays, MRI
imaging, ultrasound scans and blood and other pathology tests are required.
Interpret the results alongside traditional physiotherapeutic assessment
techniques and non-clinical information to aid clinical diagnosis and decisions
on potential treatment options/clinical interventions.
6.
able to clinically justify referral into appropriate MSK pathways or community
care spinal treatment service, rehabilitation services or secondary care
services such as rheumatology, orthopaedics and neurology.
7.
professional judgement and advanced clinical reasoning skills to make decisions
about safe and effective patient care in unpredictable situations, including
when there is incomplete/contradictory information.
8.
understanding of the impact of physiotherapeutic interventions on existing
conditions and treatment programmes e.g. podiatric treatment, drug therapies,
etc. ensuring that physiotherapy interventions are integrated and supportive of
the whole treatment aims promoting a holistic approach to condition management
9.
Recognise
potential underlying non-MSK related disease and conditions that present as MSK
symptoms and to refer appropriately.
10.
in partnership with the patient at all times to attain maximum participation in
treatment programmes. This will include working with patients from diverse
social background and cultures and understanding how this will affect treatment
proposals and models.
11.
accountable for decisions and actions via Health and Care Professions Council
(HCPC) registration, supported by a professional culture of peer
networking/review and engagement in evidence-based practice.
Leadership/Consultancy
12.
the FCP role into the wider primary care team, proactively working with the
primary care team to build robust relationships and practices where practicable
by providing expert advice and source of expertise in the management of
musculoskeletal conditions to specialist healthcare professionals and members
of the primary care team, including advising GPs on management of MSK
conditions.
13.
to the development of referral guidelines for MSK and MSK related conditions
from primary care to other NHS services that will direct referrals to other
primary care services, community, secondary and tertiary [specialist] services
through feedback to the MSK Professional Lead.
14.
Work
with the PCN team to support preventative strategies for local populations,
patient groups and individuals.
15.
Active
engagement in annual development review processes and peer review, embracing
evidence-based practice.
16.
Contribute
to monitoring and review of service standards for MSK primary care services
through feedback back on the service of peers to MSK professional Lead if best
practice has not been followed.
17.
Participate
in/support investigations into complaints and clinical errors/incidents when
appropriate.
Development
18.
in developing education and training of specialist physiotherapists up-to post-graduate
level to support the development of advanced clinical practice skills and
knowledge within the wider physiotherapy workforce if mutually agreeable.
19.
ad hoc training and supervision, some of which maybe to postgraduate level, for
specialist primary care professionals, including GPs in order for them to
develop specialist MSK patient referral and management skills.
20. Implement all aspects of effective clinical governance
for own practice, including undertaking regular audit and evaluation,
supervision and mandatory training.
21.
and receive clinical supervision through supportive WhatsApp groups for the FCP
service.
Enhance Primary Health Care is an experienced provider of NHS commissioned and Non-NHS commissioned health and wellbeing services. Our team has vast clinical and leadership experience across General Practice and Secondary care; and working at scale across localities.
The FCP Physio Team currently cover 15 practices over 4 Primary Care Networks across Leeds, Otley and Wetherby.
Qualifications
Essential
- BSc/MSc degree in Physiotherapy
- Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) registration
- Can demonstrate working at Level 7 [within the ACP framework] capability in MSK related areas of practice or equivalent (such as advanced assessment diagnosis and treatment)
- Completion of recognised FCP qualification either signed off portfolio or HEI course.
Desirable: - Non-medical prescribing qualification; - Joint and Soft Tissue Injections; - Further MSc modules in MSK Conditions
Experience
Essential
- Experience of unsupervised independent diagnosis and management of varied MSK conditions
- Experience in applying the physiotherapy process to include MSK assessment, interpretation, individual care planning, motivation, monitoring and evaluation of highly specialized MSK treatment
- Working knowledge of Microsoft and GP IT systems, Systm1 and EMIS, alongside prescribing data monitoring systems
- Experience of contributing to and service delivery/evolving evidence led practice and delivery in a changing environment
Desirable
- Experience of working within the primary care environment of MSK
- Working towards advanced clinical practitioner status
- Previous supervisory experience
- Experience of working with a diverse range of stakeholders
- Cognitive behavioural and motivational interviewing approaches / skills
Analytical/Personal and Communication Skills
Essential
- Able to understand and analyse complex issues and balance competing priorities in order to make difficult clinical decisions.
- Support individual patient care by an ability to analyse and interpret complex clinical/ often incomplete information, pre-empt and evaluate issues, and recommend and appropriate course of action to address the issues
- Excellent interpersonal and organisational skills
- Ability to evidence a sound understanding of the NHS principles and values
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, able to influence and persuade others articulating a balanced view and able to constructively question information
- Ability to communicate over the telephone and face to face as a physiotherapy professional
- Ability to co-ordinate and prioritise workloads able to multi-task as well as be self-disciplined and highly motivated
- Demonstrates a flexible approach in order to ensure patient care is delivered
Desirable
- Experience of working within a primary care setting
- Evidence of working across organisational boundaries within health and social care
- Independent thinker with demonstrated good judgement, problem-solving and analytical skills
- Evidence of inspiring and motivating teams with the ability to communicate passionately, effectively.
- Ability to negotiate effectively within the MDT or across a range of services/providers.
- High degree of personal credibility, emotional intelligence, patience and flexibility
- Ability to cope with unpredictable situations
- Confident in facilitating and challenging others
How to apply
Applications are handled entirely by the employer on the original advert. We do not collect CVs, supporting statements or application data.
Provenance
Source
NHS Jobs
First seen
18 September 2026
Last checked
21 September 2026
Salary, closing date and description are taken from the employer's advert. The original advert always takes precedence.
About the employer
NHS organisation
This listing was structured from NHS Jobs. Vacancy details and the application process remain the responsibility of the original source.
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