A survey of the work practices of physiotherapists in the community

The aim of this study was to find out what kind of physiotherapy service is available in the community. Two groups were studied (i) private practitioners and (ii) community physiotherapists employed by health boards. The results indicate that the private practitioners provide a service in the community to a mainly young, or middle-aged and mobile population. The conditions treated were mostly of an acute nature, viz. sports injuries, low back pain and whiplash injuries. The community physiotherapy service provided by the health boards served mainly the very young, i.e. 0-15 years and the elderly. The conditions seen were mostly long-term, viz. strokes and cerebral palsy. The community physiotherapist saw 50% of cases in the patient's own home, while the private practitioners saw 93% of cases in the practice premises.