What is the Physiotherapy Service?

Our physiotherapy service provides assessment and treatment in person, or over the phone

We can help people who have difficulty with their day-to- day living due to pain or problems with movement. We also treat people who have suffered an injury, or have had an orthopaedic operation.

You might hear us also being called the Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy Team or MSK for short.

We also work in close liaison with other organisations for example, we are able to refer you to the physiotherapy department at the University Hospitals Bristol for hydrotherapy or to their larger gym for the later stages of rehabilitation.

Click here for advice on keeping yourself healthy.

Our professional standards

We are a professional, friendly and caring team that have, on average, over ten years physiotherapy experience. We all have to be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council to be able to call ourselves physiotherapists so you can rest assured, that you will be seen by physiotherapists who are highly qualified and who must maintain and keep up to date with their professional development.

It is compulsory for physiotherapy staff to attend regular training as well as one to one supervision. All of our clinicians are qualified physiotherapists and we also have a physiotherapy assistant who is a qualified personal trainer. Some of our physiotherapists have completed or are currently studying for Master’s degrees in Advanced Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy.

All Bristol Community Health staff must undertake core training to ensure that we meet health and safety standards and have the safest environment possible for our patients.

Meet the team!

What do patients say about this service?

‘’Before I started I could hardly walk now I’m 90% and still improving.’’

‘’I was suffering such pain at the beginning of the year that I was becoming quite depressed and was thinking of giving up work because I was finding life so difficult. At each session I could report a decrease in pain and an increase in flexibility, and you were very encouraging and supportive. I feel so much more optimistic about the future, and motivated to continue to strive for more improvement. I will now stay at work until my official retirement date next year.’’

‘’My physiotherapist treated me with extreme kindness and understanding of my pain due to severe arthritis of my hip. I feel the exercises helped.’’

How can I access this service?

If you are an adult living in South Bristol, some areas of North Bristol, Inner or East Bristol you can access the physiotherapy service, via a referral from your GP or hospital consultant.

Our waiting lists are between 8-12 weeks for a face to face appointment but much quicker for a telephone assessment.

Where this service is located?

Physiotherapy (MSK) is provided in 7 bases in South, South East and North West Bristol.

Please see map below.