Making physiotherapy more accessible: open access for general practitioners to a physiotherapy department

Area of Science:

• Health Sciences
• Physiotherapy
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Physiotherapy outpatient departments in district general hospitals traditionally relied on indirect referrals.
• General practitioners (GPs) already had access to domiciliary physiotherapy services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of offering open access physiotherapy to GPs.
• To assess the efficiency and adherence to treatment policies under a new referral system.

Main Methods:

• Monitoring the effects of an open access physiotherapy service for GP-referred patients.
• Comparing treatment adherence and resource utilization with previous referral models.

Main Results:

• Reduced waiting times for physiotherapy appointments.
• Consultants saved time previously spent on confirming physiotherapy needs.
• Physiotherapists adhered to prevention-focused policies irrespective of referral route.

Conclusions:

• Direct GP access to physiotherapy is effective and does not necessitate prior consultant referral.
• The service remained within resource limits due to selective GP referrals and efficient physiotherapy practices.