Birmingham East and North PCT

Birmingham East and North Primary Care Trust (PCT) sets up community based triage clinics for orthopaedics, that are run by physiotherapists, to reduce hospital referrals and waits.

SHA region

NHS West Midlands

Project dates

The service was set up in 2005.

Project work area

18 weeks

Aims and results

Birmingham East and North Primary Care Trust has set up triage clinics in a range of community healthcare centres to give patients rapid access to treatment and to avoid unnecessary hospital referrals. Run by physiotherapists, they are used to assess, advise and treat patients who would have traditionally been referred to a hospital orthopaedic service. If the patient does need hospital treatment, they can then choose where they receive it.

The clinics are available to anyone who is registered with a general practice in the area. A team of 10 extended scope physiotherapists see patients who have been referred by the GP.

The key benefits are:

• Patients are cared for in the community with a combination of physiotherapy, joint injections and support.
• Those patients who require surgery, are referred to secondary care at the point of real need, reducing bottlenecks in the patient pathway.

Profile of the trust

Birmingham East and North PCT was formed on 1 October 2006, bringing together Eastern Birmingham and North Birmingham PCTs.

It provides primary care, intermediate care and community services on behalf of 437,500 people in the city.

For more information

Sue Roberts, Birmingham East and North Primary Care Trust

susan.roberts@benpct.nhs.uk