East Lothian – Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy Sites/ Locations

Face to face physiotherapy clinics run in the following locations:

Who is in the team?

Advanced Physiotherapy Practitioners
Physiotherapists
Exercise Specialists

How can I get referred to physiotherapy?

You can refer yourself through one of the two options below, or you may be referred by your GP or a consultant.

Option 1:

If you have any joint, bone, muscle pain or injury, you can refer yourself directly to the East Lothian Musculoskeletal (MSK) Helpline by calling the number below. This means you do not need to be referred through your GP.

0300 3690 680 (Line open 9am-11.30am, Monday- Friday)

You will be able to organise an appointment with an Advanced Physiotherapy Practitioner within 48 hours.

This service can help by:

Finding out if you need to see a doctor or a physiotherapist
Providing key information and advice to help with your problem
Referring for ongoing physiotherapy if you need it
Organising an X-ray if required

They cannot book and/ or manage your physiotherapy appointments- if you need to change an existing appointment please see below.

Eligibility:
To use this service you must be aged 16 or over and be registered with a GP in East Lothian.

Option 2:

You can complete a Self-Referral Form

Following completion of a self-referral form, this will be reviewed by a physiotherapist and added to our waiting list accordingly.

What happens when I phone?

When you phone, you will speak to our trained advanced physiotherapy practicioners. They will ask you a series of questions normally lasting less than 10 minutes. These questions have been carefully developed and endorsed by health professionals and patient representatives to screen for any problems that may need urgent medical attention. You may think that some questions seem unrelated to your problem but, for your safety, we ask everybody the same questions.

They may direct you to:

Key information
Videos
Exercise tips to help you with your specific problem

Depending on the replies given, they may offer to refer you for a telephone, video or face to face treatment with a physiotherapist, or they may refer you to another service.

No improvement?

You might feels some pain and discomfort when you start to exercise. This is normal. If your symptoms don’t improve after 2 weeks of following our advice and trying these exercises, please call us back. If your symptoms change or get worse, speak to your local healthcare professional or phone 111 if your GP practice is closed.

What if I cannot attend my appointment?

Please call 01620 642920

If you are:

already under the care of one of our staff
have spoken to or seen someone already
have a question
or need to change your appointment.

This number covers all East Lothian physiotherapy clinics regardless of the location of your physiotherapist.

Missed appointments may result in a longer wait to be seen. If you cannot attend your physiotherapy appointment, please contact us as soon as possible. If you do not attend an agreed appointment and have not informed the physiotherapy department of this in advance, you will be removed from the waiting list. If you contact the physiotherapy department within 4 weeks of this missed appointment you may be re-added to the waiting list.