Dear Patient,

Following your referral to the Musculoskeletal Service, we are now in a position to offer you an initial assessment within our Physiotherapy & Osteopathy Team.

What You Need to do Now:

  • Please ring us on 01273 242054 option 2 within 14 days of receiving our text message to book your appointment. Our phone lines are open between the hours of 8am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.
  • When calling us please quote your NHS Number – you can find this on medical letters or prescriptions, or online by following the link www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/online-services/find-nhs-number
  • Please note that our service is in high demand as we continue to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Appointments will be offered according to clinical priority. For current wait times, and for advice on how to manage your condition while you wait, please visit our website at www.sussexmskpartnershipcentral.co.uk/wait-times/.  Our website also has advice on what to do if your symptoms change. 

Help us to support those in greatest need. If your condition has improved or resolved and you no longer need to be seen, you do not need to call us. You can self-refer yourself at any time to our service if your symptoms return.

When booking your appointment please have a pen ready and make a note of your appointment details. If you cannot attend at your appointment time for any reason, please call us on 01273 242054 in advance so we can offer your appointment to someone else. If you do not contact us you may be discharged from the service.

When you call to book your appointment, you will be offered either:

  • A face-to-face appointment
  • A virtual appointment

What Aren’t All Our Appointments Face to Face?

Government guidelines are different for healthcare than for other settings (e.g. hospitality, hair dressers, etc.) because of the added risks of infecting unwell/vulnerable people with COVID-19.

If you would like to come to the clinic for a face to face appointment please be advised that we continue to follow social distancing guidance to keep our patients and staff safe, and we ask you to please wear a facemask unless exempt.

If you prefer not to come to the clinic we can offer you a virtual appointment  (telephone and / or  video call).Virtual appointments generally offer faster access to a clinician and are often as effective.  Following your virtual appointment, a face to face appointment may be offered. 

COVID Screening

Please let us know if:

  • You have had any Covid symptoms during the past 10 days?
  • You/anyone in your household have had a confirmed diagnosis of Covid in the last 10 days?
  • You/anyone in your household are awaiting PCR test results?
  • You have been asked to self-isolate in the last 10 days

This helps us to keep the department free of Covid. We will book an appointment for you for when the above no longer apply. These measures are in place to protect you, our patients and our staff

Preparing for Your Appointment

Whether virtual or face-to-face, your clinician will ask you a number of questions to understand your problem and work with you to form a management plan. It is likely you will be asked to carry out some movements so please wear appropriate clothes that you can move comfortably in.

Other clinicians may be present during the consultation, as part of their training. At the start of your appointment, your clinician will ask your permission if this is the case.

If you require an interpreter, please let us know when you contact us to book your appointment so we can arrange for one to be present with your clinician or to dial into your call remotely.

If you have any other requirements for your appointment, please let us know at booking and we will do our best to accommodate your needs.

Please note: if you choose to have a virtual appointment, it will be important for you to be in a confidential space, free from background noise or other distractions. You must not be driving during your appointment.


For any questions or concerns about how to prepare for your appointment please visit www.sussexmskpartnershipcentral.co.uk, email us on msk@nhs.net or call us on 01273 242054 option 2.