Circle Integrated Care is a free service for NHS patients
Circle Integrated Care’s MSK clinics are based in Bedfordshire, Greenwich, Rushcliffe, North Hampshire, and S&W Hertfordshire. Our goal is to provide quick access to specialist clinicians, ensuring that you see the right specialist at the right time.
To achieve this, we use digital technologies and face to face consultations to support your treatment pathways, such as online self-referral, or a virtual consultation with a clinician. We also partner with community healthcare providers, local NHS and Independent Hospitals to ensure that high quality care can be delivered close to people’s homes.
How can you get an appointment at one of your MSK clinics?
Patients can be referred to our MSK services via clinicians at their GP surgery. You may see a GP, First Contact Practitioner (FCP), nurse or paramedic in your surgery, any of whom can send an electronic referral to Circle Integrated Care. Circle provides FCPs in GP surgeries in Bedfordshire, Greenwich, North Hampshire and South and West Hertfordshire
This referral is then assessed and triaged by experienced Circle MSK clinicians to decide what the next steps should be.
Speak to receptionists/ reception staff at your GP surgery to find out more.
Self-referral
Patients in Bedfordshire, Greenwich, Rushcliffe and North Hampshire can self-refer to the Circle MSK service online, by clicking the button below. Please note that self-referral is not available for patients in S&W Hertfordshire.
For South and West Hertfordshire patients, additional First Contact Physiotherapists (FCPs) – specialist MSK clinicians working in GP practices – will be available in your GP practices. They will be able to assess and help you quickly with your MSK problem. Please contact your GP practice for further details.
Who can be referred?
Patients that are experiencing persistent MSK issues can be referred for treatment. This could include muscle and joint injuries, strains and persistent pains affecting activities of daily living.
MSK physiotherapy or rehabilitation
- Telephone assessment and advice: Our physio line service offers quick access to expert advice from qualified physiotherapists/ clinicians. Exercises can be provided to you via an online app, or emailed to you as preferred
- Face-to-face assessment, advice and treatment: Our physiotherapy and rehabilitation teams provide assessment, diagnosis and treatment, providing bespoke rehabilitation programmes that suit your needs.
- Online follow-ups: Follow-up appointments can be offered online or over the telephone to track and monitor your progress
- Online physiotherapy: A course of treatment provided virtually over 12 weeks with regular interactions with a physiotherapist.
- Group rehabilitation: Group classes with courses for education and exercise for hip and knee arthritis, shoulder and neck pain and back pain.
MSK podiatry
- Online assessment and provision of orthoses (insoles): Our online podiatry service assess you over a video call, providing orthoses to treat MSK complaints with a 70%* success rate.
- Face-to-face assessment and provision of orthoses: If your preference is to see somebody face-to-face, this can also be arranged. Assessment in person for orthoses can also be provided at a select number of sites.
Community MSK assessment clinics
- Diagnostic referrals: Imaging may be requested at the point of your referral, should this be appropriate, ensuring that your referral gets to the right person, at the right time.
- Rapid access telephone assessment: These appointments allow quick access to assessment with advanced practitioners who will discuss your symptoms with you and plan the best next step for your care.
- Online assessment clinics: If you prefer online assessment, this can be offered with our Advanced clinical practitioners too.
- Face-to-face assessment and treatment clinics: Our MSK assessment clinics are based in main hubs and GP surgeries, ensuring care can be close to home. Our Advanced clinical practitioners will discuss your symptoms, examine you and plan your care with you, which may include referral for physiotherapy, scans or x-rays or may offer injection therapy.
Orthopaedics
Community consultant clinics: Specialist assessment, which is based in our community hubs, rather than in a hospital setting - bringing specialist care closer to home.
Rheumatology
Community rheumatology clinics: Specialist assessment, which is based in our community hubs, rather than in a hospital setting - bringing specialist care closer to home.
Persistent pain
- Face-to-face assessment: Our community physiotherapists, nurses, osteopaths and pain consultants work closely to provide whole person assessments and plan the best care for persistent pain problems.
- Pain Management Program: We provide education and support for pain management with both virtual and face to face options available.
Dedicated shared decision-making clinics
- Shared decision-making clinics mean that no decision is made about you, without you. We hold dedicated clinics, where you can discuss all the available treatment options, prior to referral to specialists for surgery.
Where is your pain?
Select a condition from the list below
I’ve had an excellent experience at MSK in Bedford. From the physio – who was superb, through to the consultant app.
The exercises they prescribed made a difference in 3 days and now just over a week after seeing them, the pain is MILES better.