First Contact Practitioners

First Contact Practitioners

First contact practitioners (FCPs) are a recent addition to the Primary Care workforce. With their experience and training, they can see patients with undiagnosed and undifferentiated conditions, thereby reducing demand on other Primary Care clinicians. 

What is an FCP?

FCPs are regulated healthcare professionals that have undertaken additional training and experience within a specified scope of practice (musculoskeletal, dietetics etc) to be able to safely provide the first point of contact and assessment for defined groups of patients and presentations as aligned to their area of experience and training.

Allied health professionals (AHPs) who typically work in FCP roles include dietitians, occupational therapists, paramedics, physiotherapists and podiatrists.

Practitioners in FCP roles support patients to get faster access to the right care without necessarily needing a referral from a GP. Practitioners in these roles work as part of the multi-professional team with appropriate clinical supervision and governance in place.

Please visit the Thames Valley and Wessex Primary Care School for more information about:

• FCP training programmes
• Supervision of FCPs
• FCP Community of Practice