Physiotherapy helps to restore movement and function when someone is affected by injury, illness or disability. It can also help to reduce your risk of injury or illness in the future.
When is physiotherapy used?
Physiotherapy can be helpful for people of all ages with a wide range of health conditions, including problems affecting the:
- bones, joints and soft tissue – such as back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain and sports injuries
- brain or nervous system – such as movement problems resulting from a stroke, multiple sclerosis (MS) or Parkinson’s disease
- heart and circulation – such as rehabilitation after a heart attack
- lungs and breathing – such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cystic fibrosis
Physiotherapy can improve your physical activity while helping you to prevent further injuries.
How can I access physiotherapy?
Our primary care network has first-contact physiotherapists working in our team who may be able to help you. Speak with your GP practice reception team to book an appointment with them.
If you are aged 18 or over and registered with a GP in mid Essex, and you have a musculoskeletal problem, you can also self-refer to the Provide Physiotherapy Service. All self-referrals will be triaged subject to the Provide Physiotherapy Service criteria.
How do I know whether I need physiotherapy?
If you are experiencing musculoskeletal symptoms (e.g., back, shoulder, knee pain, etc.) that are not improving with self-management support via the website, or if a healthcare professional has recommended it.
What are the benefits to me for self-referring to physiotherapy?
You will be able to access physiotherapy quicker without having to book an appointment with your GP or other primary care practitioner first, resulting in earlier help on how best to manage your musculoskeletal problem and to return to your normal activities as soon as possible. You will also be able to provide more information regarding your specific musculoskeletal symptoms and how it is affecting you personally, which will help the Provide Physiotherapy Service know what level of support you are likely to need.
How do I self-refer to physiotherapy?
Visit the website below to complete the online physiotherapy self-referral. If you provide any information that requires a medical assessment before physiotherapy, you will be directed to the appropriate service and will not be able to submit your self-referral.
What happens after I have submitted my self-referral to physiotherapy?
You will receive an email/SMS confirming receipt of your self-referral and you will then be notified by the Provide Physiotherapy Service what level of support you are likely to need, based on the information you have provided, following a robust triage process.
Will my GP practice be informed once I have self-referred to physiotherapy?
The Provide Physiotherapy Service will inform your GP practice once you have completed your care, unless your physiotherapist needs to discuss the further management with your GP during treatment, with your consent.
Is my information safe when completing a physiotherapy self-referral?
Yes – all information you disclose is secure and kept for the minimum amount of time possible. Your data will be stored in anonymised format within the cloud resources that are deployed in a dedicated Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) within the London servers of Amazon Web Service (AWS). The databases are encrypted both at rest and in-transit using appropriate SSL/TLS encryption levels. The access right will be restricted to the development and maintenance team admin only when required. Moreover, data access logging has been incorporated, and regular reporting is performed.
