Primary Care Reattendance Following an FCPP Appointment: A National Retrospective Service Evaluation.

Background: Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions equate to one third of a general practitioners (GP's) caseload. First contact practitioner physiotherapists (FCPPs) have been shown to be a clinically and cost-effective alternative to GPs for managing MSK conditions. However, their impact on primary care workload(s) requires further evaluation.

Aim: To determine the percentage of patients who, having seen an FCPP for a musculoskeletal disorder, then reattend with a GP, nurse practitioner (NP), or paramedic practitioner (PP) within 12 weeks, and the reasons for reattendance.

Design and setting: National, retrospective service evaluation from 70 primary care networks (PCNs) across England.

Method: Data on the rate of and reasons for reattendance following an FCPP appointment were collected retrospectively between 01 January 2024 and 30 April 2024. Consent was obtained from each PCN/practice site. Extracted data consisted of patient demographics, and whether the patient reattended with a GP/NP/PP at three predetermined timepoints within 12 weeks. Reasons for reattendance at each time point were recorded against 8 predetermined criteria.

Results: Two thousand one hundred forty out of 2725 patients (78.5%) did not reattend within 12 weeks of an FCPP appointment. Medication/analgesia prescribed was the most common reason for reattendance < 8 weeks and onward referral was the most common reason for reattendance between 8 and 12 weeks.

Conclusion: FCPPs do have a significant impact on reducing the burden of MSK conditions in primary care. Medication was the most common reason for reattendance, supporting the advanced practice component of the FCPP role.