Physios now seeing patients at GP surgeries
Most top athletes require the services of physiotherapists and you can now see one at Campbeltown Medical Practice.
Marsaili Ross is based at the practice as a ‘first contact physiotherapist’, a scheme being gradually introduced in larger GP surgeries across Argyll and Bute as part of the national Primary Care Modernisation Project – not just for athletes.
To date, this service is only available here in Campbeltown and at the Lorn Medical Centre in Oban.
Patients can book an appointment with the physiotherapist through the practice receptionists as normal, which ensures that patients get to see the right professional at the right time. The scheme frees up GPs to spend more time with patients in specific need of their expertise.
The service is aimed at over16s who have joint and/or soft tissue issues.
In this new role, physiotherapists can make a diagnosis and develop a treatment plan and refer patients for further investigations such as X-ray if required or to specialist services as necessary.
Mrs Ross said: ‘I am really pleased that we are able to deliver the first contact physiotherapy service in Campbeltown. This means we can offer early access to specialist musculo-skeletal assessment and treatment planning, and provide physiotherapy support at the initial point of access.
‘We can arrange appropriate investigations and imaging if they are required, following a comprehensive musculoskeletal assessment, and also onward referral to the main physiotherapy department and other specialities.
‘The feedback from patients has been very positive and encouraging and they are also pleased that they can access the right health professional at the right time.’
The first contact physiotherapist service is currently in the early stages of development and will introduced larger practices within Argyll and Bute over the next three years. A remote and rural service is also in development for smaller practices.
The feedback so far has been good with patients recommending seeing the physiotherapist and saying they feel more motivated to the exercises given and reach the targets set.