Physiotherapists in the UK have had the ability to be autonomous first point of contact practitioners legally since 1978. Patient self referral can be commonly found within the private or sports sectors, but has not been widely adopted within the National Health Services of the United Kingdom. Current healthcare reforms throughout the UK have advocated for widening access to services for patients, greater choice and more autonomous practice. We have been involved in developing and evaluating this type of access to physiotherapy within the National Health Service in Scotland for over ten years during which time we have published and presented our work widely throughout the UK and globally. During that time, we have been contacted by numerous individuals form a variety of professions for help and advice or just to hear about our experiences. We hope that this website can help to share issues more widely.

An in-depth practical guide will be published in October 2006 that contains practical hints and tips to aid allied health professionals prepare for and establish these services as 'painlessly' as possible. Look out for:

'Patient Self Referral For Therapists: A Practical Guide'
ISBN 84619 165 3 (available now!)