The experiences of patients with musculoskeletal conditions accessing first contact physiotherapy practitioner appointments in general practice in the UK: A qualitative study

Background First Contact Physiotherapy Practitioners (FCPPs) provide expert care for patients with musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions in General Practice. Access to FCPPs can facilitate timely care and efficient use of health services. However, there is little evidence about patient experiences of accessing FCPP appointments. Objective To explore the experiences of patients with MSK conditions who have accessed an FCPP appointment in a General Practice setting in the UK. Design Exploratory qualitative design. Methods Patients with MSK conditions who had experience of accessing FCPP appointments were recruited via social media. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted and recorded via MS Teams. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results Of 13 patients interviewed, there were 10 females and three males, with an age range between 20 and 80 years. The main themes identified were: (1) Awareness of FCPP, (2) Access routes, (3) Facilitators to access, (4) Barriers to access, (5) Likelihood of re‐accessing FCPP. Awareness of FCPP was generally low amongst participants. There were a variety of routes to access FCPP appointments; some were felt to be sub‐optimal by participants. Facilitators included quick/easy access to FCPP. Barriers included difficulty contacting General Practitioner (GP) surgeries and public perception of needing to see a GP initially. The likelihood of re‐consultation with a FCPP was low when participants had disappointing care experiences. Conclusion This study provides new evidence about patient experiences of accessing FCPP. It explores positive and negative aspects of access from patients' perspectives. It also highlights areas for improvement in terms of GP staff/patient awareness and understanding of FCPP.