Day in the life of a primary care physiotherapist

Day in the Life of a Physiotherapist (Laura)

Written by Laura Bryden, 31/07/2026

About me

Name:	Laura
Current role:	First Contact Physiotherapist
Work setting:	GP surgery

I am a First Contact Physiotherapist working in primary care which means I am based in a GP surgery. I have worked in various settings over the years including at a large acute hospital, in private practice, on a military base and at a military rehab unit and as part of a team travelling to provide musculoskeletal assessment clinics across Lincolnshire.

Read more about Laura's story below or watch her 5 minute video:

My career journey

I became interested in Physiotherapy when I was working part-time at my local leisure centre during sixth form. There was a physio working there and she had her anatomy posters up on the wall, I used to look at them when I should have been hoovering and dusting the gym.

When I started to look into what qualifications and experience I would need to study physiotherapy, I started to try and get some relevant work experience. This included volunteering at a school for children with complex physical needs and supporting riding for the disabled sessions. To get a place on a university course, I needed a Biology A level and I had to interview in addition to my university application. Fortunately, I was offered a place and studied in Nottingham.

How I got into this role

My career in physiotherapy started in a very traditional way with a rotational position at a large teaching hospital. That gave me such a good grounding and the opportunity to really try the different specialities before I decided where I would like to focus.

After three years and 12 different rotations, I moved to work as a civilian physiotherapist for the military. This means you go to work 9-5 as a physio but you are not trained as a soldier and cannot be posted abroad. I really loved this job and got lots of experience working with sports people and people with complex injuries who needed to return to a high level of fitness in order to be able to do their job.

After 7 or 8 years however, I felt I wanted to advance my skills and so I returned to university to study a masters in advanced physiotherapy. This gave me to educational qualifications that I needed to apply for ‘Extended Scope’ or ‘Advanced Practice’ Physiotherapy jobs.

What my role involves

Right now, working as a First Contact Physiotherapist (or FCP) I meet an average of 20 people a day, for a short 20-minute appointment where I assess and diagnose their musculoskeletal problem rather than them see a doctor. Their injury could be something simple like a sprained ankle or a repetitive strain injury or a much more complex situation following a complex fracture, for example.

Sometimes it is necessary to order x-rays or scans and we can refer to specialist services when needed. Every month I run some joint injection clinics, mostly for patients who are living with osteoarthritis.

What I enjoy most

My favourite part of the job is when you meet someone who is struggling and I have the opportunity to turn that around. When someone stands up from their chair after an appointment, with a smile on their face and they tell you they are feeling better already, that makes me enjoy my job.

I do also love working with older people and the satisfaction I get when I can help someone to achieve something that is super important to them, like walking their granddaughter down the aisle on her wedding day - that is a wonderful feeling.

Challenges

There are of course challenges, we cannot make everything better for everyone and we often have to deal with peoples’ disappointment. I have learnt over the years that we have limits to what we can achieve and we can only do our best. Sometimes our best is just being kind and honest and that is enough to help.

Skills you need

To be a good physio, you need to be a bit of a detective, to get to the bottom of the problem. It is important to be a good listener and be able to show empathy and understanding to people who are experiencing difficult life events. I am not particularly organised, but being organised always helps. Generally people just need you to show some enthusiasm and to care.

Detective!

Problem-solving

Listening

Empathetic

Organised

Enthusiasm

Care about others

My advice

If you are choosing you’re A levels and considering a career in Physiotherapy, I would consider studying biology, sports science, chemistry or psychology. But there are also access courses that you can do if you are a mature student.

I would also advise getting some related work experience so that you have experiences to discuss in your application and potential interviews. It can be very difficult to get work experience opportunities with physios due to the high demand but there are other options to consider. For example:

Volunteer at your local care home/ leisure centre and see if you can get involved in running chair-based exercises classes or sports activities

Volunteer to coach adults/ children at local sports groups

Find out if there is a local disability sports group that could use some help

Become the first aider at your job in the local pub or shops

All of this will give you some associated experience that you can talk about in uni applications and interviews.

My job in physiotherapy has given me varied, exciting and rewarding career opportunities but most importantly, great job satisfaction, a good work-life balance and some lifelong friendships.