Continuing Professional Development Menu

First Contact Practitioner in Primary Care (MSK) Placement

Course overview

This unit will enable learners to develop the skills to work in a First Contact Practitioner role within primary care (Musculoskeletal). Learners will develop within a primary care setting effective consultation and diagnostic skills, and the ability to deliver safe and effective personalised care in a multi-professional and organisational context.

This unit is recognised by the Centre for Advancing Practice as meeting the FCP Roadmap Stage 2 requirements.

Credits: 20 credits at level 7

This course is intended for

Experienced physiotherapists with musculoskeletal experience and caseload working in primary care.

Course lead

Jackie Hindle

Jackie Hindle

Senior Lecturer

My NHS Trust chose Manchester Met as the University to study my CPD course with and I can see why. The resources are brilliant and there is so much help if you need it. I have developed more confidence in myself and my own ability.
Kate Postill
CPD student

Course details

The course content will be contemporary, responsive to current policy and practice developments and meet HEE requirements for First Contact Practitioners in Primary Care. The course will include topics such as:

  • Musculoskeletal assessment, differential diagnosis safety netting, referring to the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT).
  • Communication and consultation skills (including online consultations).
  • Personalised care, social prescribing, public health approaches and applying ‘All Our Health’ in practice. 

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this Course Unit students will:

  1. Demonstrate comprehensive advanced examination, management and clinical reasoning skills with complex cases presenting with undifferentiated undiagnosed musculoskeletal disorders in primary care that are critically underpinned by evidence.
  2. Demonstrate and critically discuss the advanced use of interpersonal and communication skills with all parties in relation to patient assessment and management in the context of primary care across a variety of media.
  3. Demonstrate high level, complex decision making and problem-solving skills in challenging and unpredictable circumstances.
  4. Demonstrate a critical and systematic understanding into public health approaches, including safeguarding vulnerable groups.
  5. Demonstrate a critical awareness of the risks associated with complex case management in primary care and patient safety. 

Duration

Five months

Entry requirements

Applicants must have completed Stage 1 of the ‘First Contact Practitioners and Advanced Practitioners in Primary Care: (Musculoskeletal) A Road Map to Practice’ either by completing a taught Master’s level unit mapped against the Roadmap e.g First Contact Practice and Advanced Musculoskeletal Practice or the Health Education England Portfolio Route. It is expected that the physiotherapist would have typically accrued at least four years of post-qualification experience upon applying for the unit.

All applicants are required to obtain and be supervised by a suitable clinical supervisor e.g. GP, Advanced Practitioner or Health Education England-recognised clinical supervisor for the duration of the course. 

Assessment

Patient assessment (50% of unit mark)

Consisting of a 20 minute patient assessment and a 20 minute viva voce exploring the student’s clinical reasoning, differential diagnosis, management and onward referral.

Case-based discussion (50% of unit mark)

Consisting of a 30- minute structured critical discussion of a pre-selected case exploring the student’s clinical reasoning, capability, critical thinking and professional judgement in the case’s management.

Portfolio (pass/fail)

The portfolio consists of work-based learning and assessment as outlined in the FCP (MSK) Road map. 

Case based discussion and oral assessment to take place in July/August 2024.

Subnmission of portfolio 1st week of September 2024 

Award

Credits

20 credits at level 7

Available dates

This course is not running at this moment. Register your interest and we'll let you know when it becomes available again.

Course fees

The standard course fee is £1,056.

Course fees

The standard course fee is £800 for 2023/24 entry.

The standard course fee is £1056 for 2024/25 entry i.e. from September 2024.


Self-funded Applications

Employer-sponsored Applications

Health Education England

How to apply

We want to make our applications process as easy as possible. Please see the below list of application and funding options available for this course.

Additional information

directapplications@mmu.ac.uk  

Self-funded Applications

Employer-sponsored Applications

Health Education England

Need assistance?

For general enquiries please contact our Course Enquiries Team.

  • General enquiries
    0161 247 6969

Register your interest

We don't have any available dates at this moment. Please submit your contact details and we'll let you know when new timetable becomes available.

We would really like to get in touch to tell you about the services and benefits we can offer you. If you would like to receive this information from time to time then please tick below:

Data Protection
The Manchester Metropolitan University (‘the University’) is the Data Controller for the personal data you disclose via this form. We will use your personal data in order to send you a prospectus as requested. If you have consented to receive our marketing communications we will also use your personal data to send you targeted information about relevant services and benefits which we think will be of interest. You can withdraw your consent to receiving any, or all, of the above communications at any point by emailing cpd.hpsc@mmu.ac.uk. For further information about us, how we process your personal data and your rights, please view our privacy notice.

Credits

For each unit of study you complete, you’ll receive a number of credits. These credits relate to the length and depth of study involved.

A 10-credit unit equates to 100 hours of student effort. These hours include face-to-face contact with a tutor in a one-to-one or group setting, reading and researching time, completing study tasks, online learning, and preparation and completion of an assessment.

You’ll need 60 credits to achieve a postgraduate certificate (PgCert), 120 credits to achieve a postgraduate diploma (PgDip), and 180 credits for a masters degree (MA/MSc).

Study levels

When you take a CPD unit, you’ll study at a specific level of learning and cover a specific topic.

Level 5 units are the academic equivalent of diploma level, level 6 units are at bachelors degree level, and level 7 units are at masters degree level.

Recognition of prior learning (RPL)

If you have undertaken prior learning, you may be exempt from aspects of the course you wish to study. This is subject to the University’s RPL policy. Please get in touch to discuss requirements and the types of learning recognised.

Jackie Hindle

Senior Lecturer

  • Telephone +44 (0)161 247 3055
  • Office location Brooks Building, Manchester Campus

Academic Biography

Teaching & Research Supervision

Research Expertise, Publications & Grants

Get in touch

We would really like to get in touch to tell you about the services and benefits we can offer you. If you would like to receive this information from time to time then please tick below:

Data Protection
The Manchester Metropolitan University (‘the University’) is the Data Controller for the personal data you disclose via this form. We will use your personal data in order to manage your enquiry. If you have consented to receive our marketing communications we will also use your personal data to send you targeted information about relevant services and benefits which we think will be of interest. You can withdraw your consent to receiving any, or all, of the above communications at any point by emailing cpd.hpsc@mmu.ac.uk. For further information about us, how we process your personal data and your rights, please view our privacy notice.