A first contact practitioner (FCP) is an experienced physiotherapist who has the advanced skills necessary to assess, diagnose and recommend appropriate treatment or referral for musculoskeletal (MSK) problems on a patient’s first contact with healthcare services e.g when they visit their GP surgery.                              

Patients with MSK complaints can be booked in to see an FCP by a GP receptionist or other healthcare professional. An FCP offers expert MSK assessment and diagnosis, however, is also integrated within the multi-disciplinary team in each GP Practice.

If appropriate an FCP may prescribe a programme of exercises, refer for blood tests or X-ray, administer steroid injections, utilise local services or refer a patient to an appropriate secondary health service e.g. rheumatology or orthopaedics.

Please speak to our Reception Team who can book you an appointment. 

It is important to understand that the completion by doctors of forms/reports is not core NHS work. It is private work undertaken by your GPs in their own time and not their usual surgery NHS time.

Please contact reception for information on the chargeable services we provide.

Please try to be patient – NHS work does and must always take priority over private work.

The fees charged are based on the British Medical Association (BMA) suggested scales and our reception staff will be happy to advise you about them along with appointment availability for any medical examinations required.

• 1. Forms or reports such as private medical insurance claims, holiday cancellations, sickness or accident reports should be brought or sent to the surgery. It will then be given to your doctor for completion. There will be a charge for this, payable before completion of the form.
• 2. Insurance forms are reports compiled from your medical records for purposes such as life assurance, mortgages etc. These forms may appear to take some time to complete, as it is not uncommon for it to take up to one month between you signing the consent form/request for information and the surgery receiving the documentation. Further delays can occur if a doctor is on holiday. Please be patient.

• If your travel is more than 8 weeks away you will be asked to call into reception to complete a travel assessment form. This form will help the nurse decide which vaccinations, if any, we can offer and contact you to discuss.
• If your travel is less than 8 weeks away or you are travelling for more than 3 months you need to make an appointment at a local travel clinic to discuss your travel arrangements.

It is important to seek advice as early as possible – a minimum of 6 weeks before you travel – to allow the vaccines to work.

Some travel vaccines incur a charge because not all travel vaccinations are included in the services provided by the NHS.

The travel assessment form must include which countries and also the areas within those countries that you are visiting to be able to determine what vaccinations are required.

The travel clinics in our area are:

Boots in Huddersfield offer a travel vaccination service (01484 452757). All injections are chargeable. 
There are also travel clinics in Leeds and Manchester. 

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Information

Useful websites include Fit for Travel and MASTA. 

There is further information about countries and vaccinations required on the links below:

Central America	North America
Caribbean	Africa
Middle East

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Travelling in Europe

If you are travelling to Europe a very useful booklet has been published with advice and guidance to help you get the most out of your holiday. To visit please click:- http://ec.europa.eu/publications/booklets/eu_glance/86/en.pdf (this is a large document and may take a minute or two to view)

We are currently offering patients aged between 45 and 70 free health checks which include detailed history taking, height, weight and Body Mass Index measurement, diet/weight/smoking/alcohol advice and screening for diabetes, high cholesterol etc.

Please ask for a health check appointment with a practice nurse.

You will have a blood sample taken during this appointment and you will be required not to eat or drink at least eight hours prior to this appointment.

You will be followed up either by doctor or nurse depending on the results and sometimes you will be asked to book a telephone consultation to speak to your doctor.

We offer a variety of health advice to our teenagers including contraception, alcohol/smoking advice as well as psychological support. Please be reassured that all the services we offer are strictly confidential.

You are free to attend with your parents or friends or simply come on your own!

If you need more privacy when you are speaking to receptionist, please ask.

Blood tests can be taken every morning at the surgeries.

The District Nurses see patients in their own home. They work closely with other professionals in order to meet an individual’s health needs.

District Nurses work with people of all ages to improve or maintain their health and to provide skilled nursing care to those who are ill or are recovering from an illness.

Smoking cessation – we have clinicians trained on all aspects of smoking cessation.

Obesity management – need help with losing weight? Book with our nursing team.

Routine baby and children’s vaccinations, flu immunisation and vaccination against pneumococcal infection to name but a few.

• Specific flu clinics are held in September/October each year.

Including joint injection, removal of lumps, lesions, in-growing nails, cysts and moles. You need to see a doctor first to ensure the procedure can be carried out at the surgery.