Virtual Screening Clinic

If you have been directed to this webpage then your referral has been sent to our Virtual Screening Clinic. If you have not been directed to this webpage then this information may not be relevant for you.

The Virtual Screening Clinic aims to provide expert advice to manage your musculoskeletal condition (conditions affecting bones, joints, muscles and nerves). We aim to call all patients within a week after processing your referral. This is faster than going on our waiting list and we can arrange a face-to-face appointment after, if needed.

Whilst you are waiting for an appointment, please look at our website for advice to start your recovery today!

There are five reasons why your referral may have been sent to the Virtual Screening Clinic:

1) For advice and guidance
The body is very good at looking after itself and most musculoskeletal problems resolve within three months. Usually, sensible advice and some exercises to return to normal function is all you need. Your referral may have been sent to the Virtual Screening Clinic if it has been less than three months since the start of your problem AND it is unclear what advice you have been given so far.

2) For a physiotherapy class
We run exercise and education classes for hip and knee osteoarthritis, lower back pain and shoulder pain. Your referral may have been sent to the Virtual Screening Clinic if you may benefit from one of these classes. Our classes are based on research and run by physiotherapists. They take place at set times and days for a number of weeks and are very effective in improving pain and function. If you feel you need more input once the classes have finished, we can book you in for one-to-one physiotherapy consultations after. If the class does not sound right for you we can book you in for one-to-one physiotherapy consultations instead.

3) To quickly provide a simple treatment
You may need some simple advice or treatment such as a mobility aid or a referral to a community gym. Your referral may have been sent to our Virtual Screening Clinic to provide this.

4)To determine what kind of help you need
Your referral may have been triaged to our Virtual Screening Clinic to clarify which service you need. If the information included in your referral is unclear, we will need to ask for additional details. This will help to determine which service would be most appropriate for you. Most of the time, this will be physiotherapy but your referral could be redirected to other services such as orthopaedics, neurosurgery, rheumatology or pain clinic if needed.

5) To discuss your self-referral
You may have used GetUBetter to self-refer to physiotherapy. These referrals are sent to Virtual Screening Clinic to learn more about your condition and determine what kind of support you need.

Possible outcomes from the Virtual Screening Clinic phone call

An open appointment
The clinician will have given you some expert advice and specific guidance on how to manage your condition. They will also have advised you on what to expect from your recovery. You will have been advised to contact us if your problem does not improve. In this case, we will then book you in for a face-to-face follow up physiotherapy appointment. You may also hear people refer to this as a Patient Initiated Follow Up (PIFU).

Follow up
The clinician will have given you some expert advice and specific guidance on how to manage your condition. You will have been booked in for a face-to-face follow up physiotherapy appointment to continue to support your recovery.

Class
The clinician will have given you some expert advice and specific guidance on how to manage your condition. You will have been booked into one of our exercise and education physiotherapy classes to continue your improvement.

Redirect your referral
Your referral will have been sent to one of the other musculoskeletal services within St George’s. This may include orthopaedics, neurosurgery, rheumatology, pain clinic, and more.

Contact us

Please note this contact information is for Virtual Screening Clinic only.
You can contact us via email MSKPhysioEnquiries@stgeorges.nhs.uk or call us on 0208 725 8030 – please note this phone is not answered and you will need to leave a message.

For email or phone contact, please make sure you provide us with your full name and date of birth, or if possible your Hospital/MRN or NHS number so that we can find you easily on our system.