About Physiotherapy

We offer face-to-face appointments to our patients. We have clinics across the county so there will be a clinic within 30 minutes travel time which you can attend.

In some cases people prefer a telephone call and this can be more convenient – often this might be a good option as a follow-up to check on progress, but in the vast majority of cases a face-to-face appointment is preferable and beneficial and is therefore chosen.

Your GP is able to refer you directly to the hospital's orthopaedic team via the Single Point of Access (SPOA.)  All referrals are triaged by a clinician and sometimes the referral may be directed to the physiotherapists in line with the clinical pathways which have been produced collaboratively with our GP colleagues and the hospital consultants as it is felt to be the correct initial route for you.

Physiotherapy is often the start of the patient journey as it is frequently the most appropriate non-operative option, and for many people surgery is not required.  If non-operative management isn’t working, then your physiotherapist can refer you onwards to the orthopaedic team if appropriate and in line with the agreed clinical pathways.

In Suffolk we have various evidence-based clinical pathways for patients relating to different conditions. These have been developed and agreed with the orthopaedic consultants and general practice, and aim to encompass best practice and ensure patients are seen in the right place and at the right time.

The recommendations of Getting it Right First Time (“GIRFT”- a national programme designed to improve the treatment and care of patients.), the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (“NICE”) and also clinical research help to guide clinical pathways.

If your condition isn't improving as hoped, it might be appropriate to refer you onwards for further investigation or perhaps more invasive treatment.  We have agreed clinical pathways to help guide your treatment and management.

Some referrals might be directly from the physiotherapist to another team (such as podiatry or the community therapy teams), whereas some referrals will be to the orthopaedic or rheumatology teams at the hospitals for further assessment.  Your physiotherapist will help advise you on the estimated waiting times for different clinical pathways or treatment where possible.

Sometimes manual therapy is useful in the management of musculoskeletal conditions, however “hands on” treatment is not always needed or appropriate. Your physiotherapist will include you in making a treatment plan and will explain the rationale for the proposed management.  If you are unclear or unhappy with the plan please discuss it with your physiotherapist to enable a better understanding of your care and goals.

It is important to note that x-rays and MRI scans often doesn’t help diagnosis or inform treatment plans and therefore are not required or helpful in all situations.

In order to ensure the appropriate use of x-rays and scans and ensure the best use of resources, our local agreed clinical pathways suggest when imaging is required.

Your GP is able to organise certain images/investigations, and in some specific instances your physiotherapist will be able to organise an x-ray, otherwise it will be arranged by the orthopaedic team at the correct time.

In Suffolk, any referrals triaged as urgent will be offered an appointment within 10 working days; routine appointments are offered within 20 working days.

The gap between appointments will depend on what is required clinically depending on the treatment offered. For example, if a strengthening program is recommended, it is appropriate to allow a longer period between appointments to allow the exercises to take effect before reviewing and progressing them.

Some physiotherapists who have had appropriate training can issue and sign fit notes. These are typically sent electronically to patients but we can also provide a paper copy.  We will only be able to provide these whilst you are under the direct care of a physiotherapist, and only for the condition you are seeing the physiotherapist for. This means if you have a fit note for another health condition the physiotherapist would not be able to extend or renew that fit note.

If you need a fit note before your referral to physiotherapy or after physiotherapy appointments have finished you will need to see your GP.