First Contact Practitioner- Physiotherapy
The closing date is 10 May 2026
Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WHH) are recruiting for 2 posts 31 hours & 22.5 hours First Contact Practitioner- Physiotherapist (FCP) within the Runcorn area. Full time hours will also be considered.
Working as part of the well-established Musculoskeletal Clinical Assessment and Triage Service (MSKCATS), you will integrate with the current team of highly skilled Advanced Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy Practitioners (AMPP) that currently deliver FCP services to the population of Runcorn in North West England.
You will be based in Runcorn across the bases that provide FCP services – Halton Hospital, Halton Healthcare Hub and GP practices. Not all Runcorn GP practices have an FCP working on base, but all FCPs will be a link person with a specific GP practice to help facilitate relationships within the practice team. This combined working means that the post holder is not isolated from colleagues and will work as part of the wider MSKCATS team.
You will be expected to cover GP practices in the Runcorn Primary Care Network if service needs require.
Halton has had a FCP service for over 5 years and an interface service for 15 plus years before that. We have excellent working relationships with our primary and secondary care colleagues as well as the ICB.
We have a long history of providing a high class, forward thinking, dynamic service based on the patient centred approach.
Main duties of the job
We are looking for highly motivated, confident, experienced MSK physiotherapists with a high level of clinical reasoning skills in the MSK field to join our friendly, supportive team.
Ideally, candidates will have already completed Stage 1 and Stage 2 of the Roadmap to Practice and gained the digital badge, but consideration will be given to candidates who have yet to complete it but show potential. Candidates who have not completed the Roadmap will be expected to attend a Higher Education Institute (HEI) to complete the Roadmap as required.
Provide high level assessment of patients with undiagnosed MSK conditions using advanced clinical reasoning and diagnostic skills.
Provide expert advice using a patient centred approach and Shared decision‑making skills to aid appropriate signposting of patients to services.
Refer appropriately for diagnostic investigations and use advanced clinical reasoning skills in understanding the interventions required and the outcomes of them.
* Provide early supported self‑care advice and advice on community services to aid patient outcomes.
* Be an active part of the MDT within the GP practice attending practice meetings, involved in education of GP practice colleagues.
* Be an active part of the MSKCATS team involved in service audits, pathway developments and education of physiotherapy colleagues.
Job responsibilities
The post holder will be an experienced MSK physiotherapist who works as an autonomous practitioner in Halton General Hospital, community bases and GP practices as required.
They will use advanced clinical reasoning and highly developed diagnostic skills during the assessment of patients with undiagnosed MSK conditions to diagnose, advise and signpost patients to the most appropriate form of management, whether that be supported self‑care, community programmes, therapy setting or secondary care. They must be able to recognise red flags and masquerades of MSK conditions and be able to appropriately manage the patient with these conditions.
The post holder will have the ability to request investigations to aid with clinical diagnosis and effective onward management of the patient’s condition.
The post holder will be responsible for developing the relationship between the GP practice staff and be an active member of the practice MDT offering advice, guidance, education and support as required.
The post holder is expected to supervise less experienced staff and students.
Person Specification
* Holds Degree or Degree Equivalent in Physiotherapy
* HCPC registered
* Previous work in MSK field of Physiotherapy
* Previous experience in NHS
* Advanced clinical knowledge and expertise in MSK
* Evidence of an MSK portfolio
* Knowledge of biopsychosocial model of assessment
* Knowledge of audit and Quality Improvement Projects
* Working knowledge of diagnostics in MSK field
* Evidence of teaching and presenting skills
* Evidence of supervision of other staff
* Knowledge of HEE Roadmap to Practice for FCP Physiotherapists
* Basic knowledge of IT software – Word, Excel, MS Forms
* Team Player
* Ability to work alone
* Able to drive and has access to own transport
* HEE Stage 1 and 2 of Roadmap to Practice completed
* Previous experience in working in FCP role or triage role
* Previous experience working on EMIS or a Primary Care EPR system
* MSK Post Graduate Courses incl. working towards MSc
* Evidence of diagnostic interpretation courses completed
* Injection Therapy
* Non Medical Prescribing Course completed
* Previous work in GP Practice
* Advanced IT knowledge
* Knowledge of community services incl. voluntary sector
* Motivational Interviewing techniques
* Professional Standards
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
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