Primary Care Based Physio
Connect are one of the largest independent providers of musculoskeletal services in the UK and currently serve a population of over a million people.
Connects Primary Care based physiotherapy (PCBP) service is delivered from doctors practices or community resource centres, all within easy reach of patients. (The service is provided 52 weeks of the year, and includes evening and weekend clinics). Access, both in terms of location and timing, is important as part of Connect’s package of care.
Chartered physiotherapists, with intensive post-graduate training from Connect, attend practices over 2 or more sessions per week – this is dependent on the volume of activity, which Connect can predict from its extensive experience.
A practice of 6,000 patients might expect 30 referrals per month, requiring about 4 sessions per week of Primary Care Based Physiotherapy.
All equipment and resources are provided by Connect and staff can carry out the service from a standard consulting room.
The service is provided all year round in order to meet the needs of patients. The capacity is varied, where necessary, in order to maintain a maximum waiting time of two weeks from receipt of referral. This short wait has obvious benefits for the patient but Connect finds that early intervention has economic benefits as patients' problems have had less time to become complex and require less treatment. There is, therefore, a saving.
Connect have been delivering a GP-referred, primary care-based physiotherapy service since 1992. Since 2002, following the introduction of PhysioLine (a telephone advice service), patients have had the option to self-refer.
Connect can offer a comprehensive, primary care musculoskeletal management service incorporating PhysioLine, Primary Care Based Physiotherapy and IMATT for the successful management of most musculoskeletal problems which present into practices.
Connects Patient Administration Systems include EMIS Web and SystmOne. Both systems provide Connect with the ability to manage local and regional contracts from one referral management centre in the North East. The systems have been configured to provide Connect management and PCTs with the information they require for service and contract monitoring. Bespoke adaptations to the systems ensure that they are fit for purpose. The systems enable paperless clinical service delivery, improving clinician and patient experience and ensuring that actions are followed up efficiently.
Connect accepts the majority of its referrals via Choose & Book, enabling GPs to understand more about the service they are referring to, providing a history of the patient journey and enabling both GPs and Connect as a service provider to report on referral activity, whilst also and most importantly, providing the patient with a better experience.
Connect is proud to have developed IT innovative pathways and processes, which promote a positive clinical experience and facilitate excellent communication with referrers and onward service providers.