What is our internal MSK service?
This is a service to provide specialist MSK treatment to patients who have already been seen by Physio First or our in-house AHPs, but are not improving. It is intended to reduce the burden on our regular GPs, reduce referrals to external agencies, and reduce follow-ups with our in-house clinicians.
Criteria & how to book appointments
Bookings can be made by Paramedics and other Clinicians (though these maybe processed by Clinical Admin). If you think a patient would benefit from this service, please liaise with your site Paramedic.
- This service will be led by Dr Matthew Grant
- One day per week at KF (Thursday)
- For patients from all Penrose Health sites
- For assessment of acute and chronic MSK conditions, diagnostic ultrasound scan, US-guided joint injection, pain medication, specialist referral
How patients are triaged
If a patient calls Reception with a MSK complaint, there are two routes of referral:
- If this is a new concern (i.e. the first time the patient has contacted us about the issue) â book the patient with Physio First
- If this is an ongoing concern (i.e. the patient has already been seen by Physio first or another clinician) â book with GP or Paramedic
If a patient is booked with the Paramedic for an ongoing concern, they will assess the patient and treat if possible.
If unable to treat, either:
- Book with Penrose Health internal MSK service (if the case meets the criteria - see Criteria & how to book appointments above)
- If patients are unable or unwilling go to Kingfisher and physical examination is not needed â you can covert the slot to a telephone appointment
- Send a text to the patient confirming appointment details (via AccuRX) â make sure you include Kingfisher address
- If the case does not meet the criteria for our internal service, refer to an external service
Internal MSK service
If the patient is booked with our internal MSK service, the MSK GP will treat the patient and initiate any follow-up actions that are required.
- Prescriptions â issued by MSK service
- Ultrasounds â MSK GP records the initial report on EMIS on day of appointment, and USS image will be saved on patientâs notes within 1 working week
- Referrals â MSK GP tasks Clinical Admin team at the patientâs home practice to make the referral
- Follow-up appointments â MSK GP tasks Reception team at the patientâs home practice to arrange a follow-up appointment
- Blood tests â MSK GP saves request to patientâs notes and advises patient to book with HCA or Phlebotomist at their home practice
Dealing with results & letters for MSK patients
NB. This is applicable only to patients currently on the internal MSK GP caseload, not all MSK patients.
When results requested by our internal MSK GP come back:
- Normal results â Clinical Admin team files results and send a task to âMSK GP - Penrose Health internalâ so MSK GP is aware
- Abnormal results â Clinical Admin allocates the result to themselves and send a task to âMSK GP - Penrose Health internalâ to check results
- MSK GP will respond to the task once they have reviewed the result
- If further action needed â MSK GP will be in touch with Clinical Admin team at home practice
- If no further action needed â Clinical Admin team to file and archive the result
When letters received from third parties as a result of MSK GP referral they should be actioned in the same way as results (see above).