First contact physiotherapists (FCPs) – standardised data collection

This guidance provides instructions on how to collect and export FCP appointment activity on primary care data systems using a standardised list of outputs. It was produced by FCP Amanda Hensman-Crook with input from the CSP, NHS Digital and NHS England. In February 2019, the guidance was revised by the CSP’s Euan McComiskie in conjunction with Amanda.

The revised guide takes you through the steps to embed and export FCP data using standardised templates built for Emis, SystmOne and Vision (and coded with READ, CTV3 and/or SNOMED terminology). These universal templates were developed initially for NHS England's national evaluation of FCP to capture standardised output data on a large scale to ensure reliable and robust evidence of its effectiveness. Although the national FCP data is no longer required to be submitted via the NHS Future Collaboration platform, the templates are still being used across the UK to enable services to demonstrate their impact at local and regional levels. Data collection by FCPs is expected as part of the research pillar of advanced practice as defined by the Health Education England but relevant to all parts of the UK.

You can read more about the collection and sharing of FCP data on the frequently asked questions page.

Templates

Please find below the files and guidance for installing and using the FCP Search/Report Templates on EMIS, SystmOne and Vision. The CSP and colleagues developed these templates ahead of the NHS England national evaluation. They remain active and can help services to show their output and safety; improve their efficiency; and to demonstrate their impact on other parts of the healthcare system and with patients. You are no longer required to submit data to the online NHS Future Collaboration Platform. However, we still encourage their use at a local level.

The CSP welcomes any local services wishing to amend the data templates to collect additional local data items that will add value to these services. We suggest that before doing so you consider whether your fellow FCPs have already developed a useable template. You can find out by asking on the FCP iCSP network.

You will need access to EMIS, SystmOne or Vision to make use of the files and may need local IT support to embed them, depending on your own user access privileges.

You can watch a step-by-step video for embedding the FCP reporting templates into Vision, Emis and SystmOne.

For EMIS users (reporting template updated Dec 2018)

• The search/report template for EMIS should allow all EMIS users to collect FCP data in their version of EMIS and extract it in a monthly report. The two templates are zipped in a file called EMIS FCP templates.zip. It includes the data collection template (FCPP UK v1.0.xml), the search/report template (FCP UK reporting template v2.1.xml) and the instructions for embedding the reporting template (Importing FCP reports into EMIS Web v2.0.pdf).

For Systm One users:

• The search/report template for SystmOne should allow all SystmOne users to collect FCP data in their version of SystmOne and extract it in a monthly report. The two templates are zipped in a file called SystmOne FCP templates.zip. It includes the data collection template (SystmOneTemplates First Contact Physio.xml), the search/report template (SystmOne reporting template.rpt) and the instructions for embedding the reporting template (SystmOne reporting template instructions (1-10-2018).pdf).

For Vision users:

• The search/report template for Vision should allow all Vision users to collect FCP data in their version of Vision and extract it in a monthly report. The two templates are zipped in a file called Vision FCP templates.zip. It includes the data collection template (FCPP.htm), instructions for the data collection template (FCP Vision Collection Template Instructions.pdf), the search/report template (FCPP Pilot Searches.vissrch) and the search/report template instructions (FCP Vision Reporting Instructions.pdf).

Our huge thanks to Paul Layte and Alison MacLeod and their teams for their support in developing these templates.