Cost calculator helps to make case for physio services in GP practices

The physiotherapy cost calculator: see how much time and money physios can save for GPs

The physiotherapy cost calculator is designed to make it easy for members to showcase the benefits of employing physiotherapists in primary care, as the first point of contact for patients with musculoskeletal conditions.

The tool allows members to calculate the costs of an existing GP care service and compare it with the cost of their own proposed physiotherapy service.

The calculator uses data from the Personal Social Services Research Unit and can show the hourly costs of GPs and all bands of physiotherapists.

Andy Lord, CSP project manager for Physiotherapy Works, developed the tool and told Frontline: ‘In the past it would take a lot for a physio to calculate their costs, but this tool provides a quick and easy way to do it – and it only takes about five minutes.

‘Members can use it to figure out what the savings would be for GP practices in their patch – or for a particular GP practice that they are thinking of targeting – and the calculations can be used to support a business case.

‘They can then go to a GP and say “look, if you took us on we could save you £20,000 in the next six months and you could see your patients for five minutes longer”, or whatever the calculated benefits might be.’

The calculator is available to download on the society’s website and can only be accessed by CSP members using their log in.