Advanced practitioners are physiotherapists/podiatrists whose additional post graduate training allows them to work in ‘advanced’ roles to carry out specialist assessment, investigations and interventions.
They also work with orthopaedic surgeons to understand their management approaches and thresholds for surgery.
GP referrals to Hastings and Rother Musculoskeletal Service (MSK) are clinically triaged by an advanced practitioner or a consultant who decide whether to refer on to physiotherapy, podiatry, orthotics or pain services, to an advanced practitioner or directly to an orthopaedic surgeon. Rheumatology referrals are currently triaged by consultants only.
What advanced practitioners do:
- Triage of referrals (electronically and face to face including to orthopaedic surgery, physiotherapy, rheumatology, pain services)
- Diagnostic imaging requests
- Blood tests
- Therapeutic injections
- Complex case management e.g. elderly patients with several comorbidities