Advanced practice without the title: The reality of the FCP role
Over the past decade few developments have reshaped UK musculoskeletal (MSK) care as profoundly as the rise of First Contact Practitioners (FCPs) in primary care. What began as a pragmatic response to workforce pressure has quietly evolved into something far more significant: advanced-level clinical decision-making at the very forefront of the system.
In many ways FCPs have changed the front door of the NHS.
Patients now access specialist MSK expertise earlier. GPs are better supported. Pathways move faster. Risk is managed closer to the point of presentation. When the model works well, the…
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