First Contact Practitioner - Surrey Downs Health & Care
Closing date: 13 May 2026.
We are looking for a flexible, dynamic and forward‑thinking First Contact Practitioner to join our team in SDHC, working in Banstead. You will be the FCP for patients with MSK conditions and will be responsible for triaging them into the most appropriate pathway – self‑care, further assessment, community physiotherapy, diagnostics or secondary care.
There will be development opportunities in line with the Health Education England recommendations for FCPs in Primary Care. Please ensure that you have completed Stage 1 of the FCP framework and can evidence this at interview.
Main duties of the job
Expert Clinical Practice
* Take professional responsibility as a first‑contact practitioner, assessing, diagnosing and triaging patients with high‑level decision‑making and clinical reasoning.
* Electronically triage information received from patients via digital primary care platforms to determine the optimum pathway for management, including advice, self‑care, MSK physiotherapy or an FCP appointment.
* Manage a complex caseload, including patients with long‑term conditions, comorbidities and multi‑factorial needs, across multiple healthcare settings.
* Gather and synthesise information, virtually and face‑to‑face, on presenting symptoms and their relation to medical history and investigations.
* Critically appraise information, recognising the potential for MSK symptoms to indicate non‑MSK conditions, frailty or serious pathology, and implement appropriate onward referral.
* Use interactions as an opportunity to educate and encourage healthy behaviour, applying the principles of make‑every‑contact‑count (MECC).
* Request appropriate investigations, interpret findings and facilitate diagnosis and management plans.
* Advise, initiate, evaluate and modify a range of interventions, including self‑management, lifestyle advice, injection therapy, exercise prescription, social and independent prescribing.
* Advise on expected benefits and limitations of rehabilitative interventions in the context of other management options.
* Promote physical activity for MSK health and advise on suitable activities.
* Work in partnership to explore suitability of surgical intervention and refer appropriately, considering NICE guidance and local criteria.
* Record clinical information accurately in EMIS (or equivalent) in compliance with local protocols, legal and professional requirements.
* Adhere to legal, regulatory and ethical requirements, professional codes and employer protocols.
* Be accountable for decisions and actions, demonstrating professional culture through peer networking, reflective practice and evidence‑based practice.
Communication and Key Working Relationships
* Demonstrate effective person‑centred communication skills to support decision‑making.
* Adapt communication style to individuals with cognitive or sensory impairments, ensuring clarity and responsiveness to language needs.
* Convey information and discuss issues in non‑jargon, respectful language.
* Communicate complex clinical information clearly to patients, carers and the multidisciplinary team.
* Manage difficult or distressed patients and carers, conveying difficult information appropriately.
* Collaborate with multi‑agency and inter‑professional resources, maintaining links to manage risk across settings.
* Advise on local non‑clinical services that benefit patients and carers.
* Make appropriate referrals when in the best interest of the patient.
* Respect and draw on colleague expertise within the multidisciplinary team.
* Communicate efficiently to expedite and integrate care.
* Participate as an effective primary care team member, contributing to team dynamics and learning.
* Maintain close working relationships with all services engaged in the MSK pathway, including secondary care, physiotherapy and voluntary organisations.
Leadership and Management
* Engage with governance agendas through clinical supervision, mentorship and reflective practice.
* Contribute to new practice and service redesign in response to feedback and evaluation.
* Act as a clinical role model demonstrating a person‑centred approach.
* Seek feedback from patients, families, carers, communities and colleagues to improve quality of care.
* Challenge others constructively, escalating concerns that affect patient or service safety.
* Negotiate scope of practice within legal, ethical and organisational policies, managing risk.
* Recognise personal limitations and work within scope of practice parameters.
* Represent the physiotherapy service on relevant committees and meetings, providing specialist input.
* Assist team leaders with day‑to‑day management of the FCP and musculoskeletal service.
* Engage in appraisal to assess and address learning needs, negotiating a personal development plan.
* Advocate for and contribute to a culture of organisational learning.
Education, Learning and Development
* Engage in peer review to inform practice and implement improvements.
* Conduct self‑directed learning, using critical reflection to identify needs and maximize clinical skills.
* Maintain a portfolio of evidence showing fulfilment of required capabilities for an FCP role.
* Support the wider team’s development of competencies through joint learning.
* Stay updated on competency frameworks relevant to practice.
* Design, develop and deliver specialised learning programmes for peers and junior staff.
Research, Audit and Service Evaluation
* Engage in clinical audit, service evaluation and research following national and local regulations.
* Evaluate and audit own practice, applying valid methods and acting on findings.
* Synthesise relevant research, audit and evaluation outcomes to inform practice.
* Generate evidence suitable for presentation at local levels.
Person Specification
Qualifications and Training
* Degree/diploma leading to State Registration by HCPC as a physiotherapist or equivalent for an osteopath.
* Evidence of a relevant MSK postgraduate qualification or training at Masters level.
* Completion of Stage One FCP Roadmap to Practice.
* Member of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.
* Relevant Master’s Degree (if applicable).
Experience
* Extensive and varied clinical experience in managing MSK problems across the pathway at senior level.
* Experience teaching MSK medicine as part of clinical role.
* Previous experience working as a FCP.
Knowledge and Skills
* Demonstrated biopsychosocial approach.
* Proficient in word processing, database and spreadsheet applications.
* Comprehensive evidence of life‑long learning and postgraduate training applied to practice.
* Knowledge of pharmacology relevant to MSK medicine.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and requires a Disclosure and Barring Service check.
Salary
£51,657 to £58,785 per annum pro rata, including fringe benefits and HCAS.
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