Musculoskeletal problems

What are Musculoskeletal (MSK) problems?

These are the aches and pains, arthritis, rheumatism, stiffness and injuries we are all prone to suffer from at sometime to our muscles, ligaments, tendons or joints.

It has been found that 20-30% of GP consultations can involve MSK complaints. A lot of these problems are minor and will resolve on their own with time and self-care measures.

The secret to managing MSK injuries is EARLY self-care with pain killers and exercise. Sometimes it may help to discuss your problem with a healthcare professional such as a doctor, nurse or physical therapist (physiotherapist, osteopath or chiropractor).

You can self-refer for NHS physiotherapy through Connect Health’s Merton Community MSK Service

Telephone: 020 3795 3430

Musculoskeletal Referrals

Patients who are unable to refer themselves and would currently require a GP referral will now be able to access the service via a patient advocate calling the service instead of the patient. The patient representative will be required to provide the Patient Care adviser with the the patients name, date of birth and NHS number or first line of address plus postcode. This is the same requirement as the current self referral criteria.

Patients who are unable to have their first appointment via telephone will be offered a face to face appointment e.g. patients who require a interpreter or hard of hearing.