Since the beginning of February, if you are registered with any of the ACE practices and have phoned with a musculoskeletal pain – neck, back, ligaments, tendons etc. – you may have been offered an appointment with our new physiotherapist, Tariro (pictured).

This role has been introduced as part of the NHS five year deal which supports the recruitment of 20,000 new practice staff roles across the country.

Tariro has been a physio for over 16 years.  Having originally trained in Zimbabwe she was most recently working at Clacton Hospital before coming across to ACE earlier in the year.  She explains why she made the move: “The set up at ACE is very similar to how it was organised back in Zimbabwe.  The physio team operated from a central medical centre.  Patients were allocated to a clinician based on their medical need, getting quicker access to the right treatment, which is what we are trying to achieve here.”

Working across all 4 GP practices, Tariro spends a day in each location.   For many patients, Tariro has been able to help them with just one appointment.

“Often I am able to provide the patient with some exercises to relieve the pain and maybe some advice on activity modification which is all they require.  I don’t get many people returning for a follow up appointment and I have had lots of positive feedback.  One lady told me she was sleeping better and was pleased to be able to do the housework again!”

The advantage of being able to get an appointment with a physiotherapist first, not only benefits the person because they are accessing a clinician with a specific skill set, but the patient is given a longer appointment slot so the physio can take time to understand their pain in more detail.  Should long-term physiotherapy or secondary care be required, the physio can refer the patient on.  Another key advantage of having the first contact physio in place is that it relieves pressure on the doctors’ workload.

Not everyone wants to see a physio though.  Tariro has had a number of patients who have directly expressed to her their dismay of not being given an appointment with a doctor: “One lady was quite blunt and most unhappy to see me but following my consultation with her she left the treatment room not only a much happier lady but more importantly she had less pain.”

When asked what her top tips were to help us avoid having to pay a visit to her in the first place Tariro’s response was: “Stay active, do sport once a week and consider Pilates or yoga to keep you conditioned and relaxed.”