Physios scoop second prize
25 November 2019
Joint working
Physiotherapists at Southend Hospital won second prize in this year’s Excellence in Primary Care Awards, organised by the Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs).
Anthony Smith and Paul Manjaly, Senior Physiotherapists received
the awards at a ceremony organised by Castle Point and Rochford CCG
and Southend CCG earlier this month.
The Physiotherapists work as First Contact Practitioners at GP
practices in West Leigh to provide specialist physiotherapy for
musculoskeletal (MSK) patients.
The service which started as a pilot in January this year has
been a great success with 99% of patients recommending the First
Contact Practitioners for providing specialist physiotherapy.
Musculoskeletal conditions include back and neck pain, fractures
associated with fragile bones and inflammatory conditions such as
rheumatoid arthritis.
Noreen Buckley, Head of Rehabilitation and Service Manager for
Rheumatology said: "By providing specialist physiotherapy at GP
practices, we are able to see patients with musculoskeletal
conditions much more quickly and freeing up time for the GPs to
treat patients with other health issues. Our physiotherapists have
integrated very well within the GP practices and this has been
immensely beneficial to patients."
Note to editors:
Castle Point and Rochford Clinical Commissioning Group and
Southend Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) approached Southend
University Hospital to work with them on providing highly skilled
MSK physiotherapists to GP surgeries as part of the First Contact
Practitioner (FCP) project in primary care.
The success of the pilot meant that some GPs nominated the two
physiotherapists for the Quality Awards 2019 - Excellence in
Primary Care Award.
Photo caption: from left to right, Dr Brian Balmer, Chief
Executive of Essex LMC, Paul Manjaly and Anthony Smith.