You will need to be seen by a clinician at your GP practice to be referred to the MSK service.  You might see a GP, an advanced nurse practitioner, or a first contact physiotherapist (specialist MSK physiotherapist working in your GP surgery).  They will do an assessment and suggest things that might help your problem, they may have directed you to this website for information about what you can do to help yourself.

If this initial advice does not help your problem and if it is felt you would benefit from specialist MSK input, they will refer you to the MSK Service, or give you information about how to initiate your own referral

What happens when you have been referred by your GP practice

Within two weeks of being referred, you should receive a text message or letter advising that your referral has been received. This will state that you have been placed on the waiting list, current waiting times are 12 to 16 weeks. We have a lot of patients who require input from the MSK service and are sorry that the waiting times are long.

If you don’t have a letter or text message stating that your referral has been received, please contact the MSK service on 0113 843 1909.

You will be contacted to arrange a face-to-face appointment to assess your needs, if you prefer you can request a telephone appointment.

Whilst you are waiting for your appointment we suggest you stay as active as you can, since avoiding movement can worsen pain and function. Please click the body area and problem you are having for more information about what you can do to help yourself. *(Link to body chart/condition list)

What to expect at your MSK appointment

• Questions: The clinician you are booked in with will ask you to tell them about the MSK problem you are having. They are likely to ask you about how the problem started, how it has progressed, how it has affected your day-to-day life (for example, work, hobbies, sports, family), and what sort of help with the problem you are expecting.
• Physical examination: There will be a physical examination as part of your assessment. The clinician will need to see the area where you have symptoms and ask you to do some movements. Please dress in clothing that will allow for this examination, for example, you may wish to wear a vest top if you have a neck or arm problem, or bring shorts if you have a leg or lower back problem.
• Discussion and planning: The clinician will discuss the findings of the assessment and work with you to make a plan to help you with your MSK problem.  This may involve education, advice, an exercise and rehab programme, or it may be suggested that a further appointment at one of our clinics would be more appropriate, this will depend on your condition .

We contribute to training for student physiotherapists by providing clinical placements. This means that there are sometimes students watching clinicians do their jobs, and there are student led clinics, with qualified clinician supervising them.  You will be informed of this in advance and can choose to rebook if you don’t want to attend this particular clinic. If you would prefer not to be assessed or treated by a student physiotherapist please let your clinician know, this will not affect your care in any way.

If you are unable to attend an appointment, please contact us on 0113 843 1909 with 48 hours’ notice if possible. This will give us time to arrange for someone else to use the appointment.

Failure to attend
If you do not attend an appointment without notice then we will offer one further opportunity to have an appointment. If you do not attend for a second time you will then be discharged from the service.

Patient initiated follow up ( PIFU)

PIFU is an NHS England policy. This is when a patient initiates an appointment when they need one, based on their symptoms and individual circumstances.
This helps empower patients to manage their own condition and plays a key role in enabling shared decision making and supported self-management.

If it is agreed you are on a PIFU list, you have open access for further input for the problem you were referred with.

If you require further treatment or advice please call 0113 843 1909 to arrange an appointment.

If we have had no contact from you after 6 months we will discharge you from the service.