This is an assessment service for people who have a musculoskeletal problem such as:

  • Back or neck pain
  • Sprains or strains
  • Sports injuries
  • Joint or muscle pain

At your appointment the physiotherapist will assess your symptoms and discuss your treatment options. They will provide you with a diagnosis, and may talk to you about self-management advice, or provide you with exercises. If clinically indicated, they may suggest an onward referral to another service which could be for example a course of physiotherapy treatment, to podiatry, or to orthotics. The Physiotherapy First clinician can arrange for first line investigations such as x rays and blood tests. They can answer any questions and help you decide how best to manage your condition. If you need advanced diagnostics such as an MRI or Ultrasound Scan, they can refer you to our triage experts to arrange this.

The Physiotherapy First team work very closely with our triage team at the Adult Musculoskeletal Assessment and Management Service (AMAMS). This means that if clinically indicated, you can access care from orthopaedics or rheumatology. Your Physiotherapy First clinician will discuss your options with you and help you reach the decision of what is best for you.

The Physiotherapy First service is available to anyone who is registered with a GP practice in West Cheshire.

To access this service, you often do not need to see a GP first, so book an appointment in the Physiotherapy First clinic instead of with your doctor. You can book this by asking your doctor’s reception team. The service will provide you with a thorough assessment and advice about the best path of care for you.

In many cases, the appointment will take place in your own practice. In some instances, you may be offered an appointment in a nearby clinic, but this will not affect the care you will receive.

Alternatively, you can book an evening appointment at the Extended Hours service on 0300 123 7743.

We provide clinics based in GP practices from Monday to Friday, between 8:30am and 5:00pm.

We also provide clinics at the General Practice Extended Hours service, currently based at Chester on the Countess Health Park, and in Ellesmere Port Hospital. These clinics operate between 6:30pm and 9:30pm, Monday to Friday.