The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy has recently called for the NHS to provide direct access to physiotherapy without the need to see a GP first (1).
The Royal College of Chiropractors supports the notion that NHS patients with musculoskeletal conditions should have direct access to skilled and competent health professionals who can assess their needs and provide appropriate care. Chiropractors, regulated health care professionals who already fulfil this role in private practice, have the necessary skills and competencies (2) and are ideally placed to offer this to NHS patients in the community.
Where chiropractors have been commissioned to work in the NHS, the resultant services have proved popular with patients and their GPs and have demonstrated safe, effective and cost-effective care. Indeed, it has been shown that these services have reduced demand on other NHS services potentially reducing overall costs (3).
Chiropractors represent a highly skilled, underutilised workforce and the Royal College of Chiropractors would like to see better utilisation of chiropractors in the NHS to improve patient outcomes and quality of care, and to reduce overall costs.