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Journeys to Primary Care

11/11/2023

Allied Health Professionals share their success stories

To celebrate Allied Health Professions Day (12th October 2023) our team asked some AHPs to tell us about their experiences in primary care and what they enjoyed most about their roles. These are the stories we collected.

Maryam: First Contact Physiotherapist

"I have worked hard to achieve my goals, to excel in the field of Physiotherapy and to provide the best care for my patients. I started as a band 5 Physiotherapist and am now a band 7 Musculoskeletal First Contact Physiotherapist (MSK FCP). I have completed my master’s degree in advancing clinical physiotherapy practice and now I am working on stage 2 of the FCP Roadmap.

The thing I enjoy most about working in primary care is providing the patients with MSK expertise in their first appointment. This helps to streamline their pathway and improves their medical journey. I enjoy learning new strategies and improving my clinical knowledge and skills on daily basis".

"The thing I enjoy most about working in primary care is providing the patients with MSK expertise in their first appointment".

As the third-largest clinical workforce within the health and care, allied health professions (AHPs) play a pivotal role in supporting the NHS Long Term Plan. Allied Health Professions Day sets out to offer an annual platform to spotlight the remarkable impact AHPs have on the delivery of care.

"My new role in primary care feels like a dream come true because throughout my studies, I focused on diagnosing patients' problems, and now I understand why..."

Payal: First Contact Physiotherapist

"My beautiful journey as a physiotherapist began in 2014. I have a deep passion for my job. Upon completing my internship, I was certain that I wanted to specialize in Musculoskeletal science. I was fortunate to secure a seat by passing a competitive exam, ranking 16th out of 3000 students, and gaining admission to a postgraduate program in Musculoskeletal and Sports physiotherapy. Working on the sports field, treating athletes, and participating in hospital rotations to care for post-op and pre-op patients were all part of my enriching experience.

After completing my master's degree and achieving the 2nd rank in the entire university, I was appointed as an Assistant Professor in a physiotherapy college. My research and international publications played a pivotal role in helping me succeed in a competitive interview for this position. I continued in this role until 2019 when my husband and I moved to the UK to support his pursuit of a PhD. I am confident in my abilities as an excellent Musculoskeletal physiotherapist, and I see opportunities for my expertise in the NHS.

My new role in primary care feels like a dream come true because throughout my studies, I focused on diagnosing patients' problems, and now I understand why, as it prepared me for this journey as an FCP. I take immense joy in every aspect of being an FCP. Putting on my uniform in the morning fills me with pride, and receiving respect as a frontline worker is truly rewarding. The FCP role has not only enhanced my MSK diagnosis skills but also passing the Society of Musculoskeletal Medicine (SOMM) practical and theory exams, along with the Herts Uni Stage 2 FCP roadmap exam, has equipped me with more abilities and skills to excel as a clinician. I'm not just a physiotherapist; I am an MSK clinician, and I cherish every moment of it".

The focus of AHPs is on prevention and improvement of health and wellbeing to maximise the potential for individuals to live full and active lives within their family circles, social networks, education, training, and the workplace.

"...I find it very satisfying to guide patients with the best MSK education, self- management strategies and refer them on to right services".

Muhammad: First Contact Physiotherapist

"If I start by saying, I didn’t choose this profession, this profession chose me, I might not be exaggerating. From day one, I have always been motivated by the super skills of Physiotherapists and being able to make a meaningful difference in our patients' life. I have had diverse experiences previously working in MSK outpatients, higher education institutes (teaching), sports and team management. It honed my skills of personalised care, evidence-based practice and being empathetic to what care is offered to each service user. In my last job prior to First Contact Physiotherapist, I was a trainee Advanced Clinical Practitioner (ACP) and the MSK team lead for a team in St Albans.

I cannot shy away from the busy schedules in primary care, nonetheless I find it very satisfying to guide patients with the best MSK education, self-management strategies and refer them on to right services. I frequently see patients with challenging and undifferentiated symptoms and work hard to provide safe and effective MSK care to these patients by involving a changing primary care multidisciplinary team (MDT) landscape”.

There are currently 14 registerable titles for AHPs: Art therapists, Dietitians, Drama therapists, Music therapists, Occupational therapists, Operating department practitioners, Orthoptists, Osteopaths, Paramedics, Physiotherapists, Podiatrists, Prosthetists and orthotists, Radiographers, and, Speech and language therapists.

Ali: First Contact Physiotherapist

“Prior to working in primary care, I was working as a Band 6 Physiotherapist in an NHS trust. I completed my master’s degree and was looking for a new challenge when I came across this role.

"I really enjoy the variety and the wide spectrum of complex patient presentations. I am constantly learning and expanding my knowledge”.

"I really enjoy the variety and the wide spectrum of complex patient presentations".