Musculoskeletal First Contact Practitioner in Primary Care Practice
September 2026 | 1 day per week over 10 weeks (term-time only)

Delivered by clinical specialists with primary care experience, students will receive a research-enriched education in a top 5, research intensive department. The module is lead by staff in the Department of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation with experience of working clinically as a lead MSK FCP and FCP educational consultant in primary care.

Prior to joining Northumbria University, Dr Audsley trained as a HEE national Roadmap Supervisor and worked as an Advanced Physiotherapist / First Contact Practitioner in Primary Care. Dr Audsley has used her knowledge and experience in primary care to work with a community of practice group containing advanced clinicians and service leads to strategically develop the FCP course content and delivery in line with the MSK FCP Roadmap credentials. The content of this course is taught by numerous external clinical experts who are specialists within their fields to ensure that course delegates learn from the best.

This module focuses upon developing the knowledge, skills, and attributes that underpin safe and effective musculoskeletal practice as a first contact practitioner (FCP) in primary care settings.  You will learn about the context and recent clinical innovations within primary care practice as well as explore your role as an FCP and its function within the wider primary care team. 

You will advance your knowledge and skills in advanced diagnostics of musculoskeletal and undifferentiated pathologies and consider how to manage and stratify clinical risk and uncertainty in the diagnostic/ clinical management process.  The module will guide you to consider how to best employ an inclusive personalised care approach towards managing the complex medical, physical and psychological, socioeconomic and cultural needs of primary care service users. 

During the module you will explore advanced communication methods, behaviour change and shared decision making approaches to support the delivery of multi- component management plans that include health promotion and disease prevention.

You will develop your leadership and research skills by critically analysing clinical research, governance and patient safety issues to help identify service improvements that support safe, effective, and sustainable primary care services delivery.  In addition, you will practice your FCP skills during a primary care placement with the support of the University and practice based supervisors. This experience will consolidate the knowledge and skills developed within the University to enable you to practically apply and understand the links between theory and practice.

The course is delivered using a hybrid teaching approach. As such, your learning will take place between university-based and online teaching sessions and a supervised primary care clinical placement. On campus teaching will be delivered at our Coach Lane Campus

You will be supported to develop your knowledge, skills and attributes by experienced primary-care clinicians, through a series of face to face and online lectures, seminars and workshops which are mapped to the domains of Health Educations England’s (HEE) Roadmap to Practice capabilities.

During a 75-hour clinical placement you will be supervised by a named GP trainer or HEE registered Roadmap Supervisor. Clinical supervisors will guide your professional development and formatively assess your clinical skills via work-place assessments and recording these in a professional development portfolio.  Formal and informal feedback on your development will be given during sessions, whilst on placement and following university assessments.

Assessment is through a written assignment, a poster presentation and successful completion of 75 hours of supervised FCP practice in a primary care setting.