How can I be referred?

To make sure that you get the best treatment for your condition your GP, hospital consultant or nurse specialist will discuss the different treatment options with you.

Some operations or treatments will only be recommended for some patients and your doctor will assess whether or not you meet the clinical conditions or criteria. Please click here to look at the criteria for Hallux Valgus surgery.

If you meet the criteria then this will be the best treatment option for you and the procedure will be arranged.

If you don’t meet the criteria then you will be offered the most effective treatment for your particular condition.

If you don’t qualify for the treatment, but your doctor or nurse thinks that there are exceptional clinical circumstances in your case then they may submit an Individual Funding Request (IFR) to an independent panel for consideration.

The IFR panel meets weekly and aims to consider cases within 14days. The panel’s decision will be communicated to you by letter if you are an adult or by letter to your GP if you are the guardian of a child applying for funding.

If your IFR application is rejected (meaning that your surgery will not be funded by the NHS), then you or your GP has the right to appeal to the IFR panel against this decision within 90days. The panel is independent to your local Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

Get Fit First

The Get Fit First policy also applies to this intervention. For further information please see the Get Fit First page.

MSK

To make sure that you get the best treatment for your condition your GP, MSK practitioner, hospital consultant or nurse specialist will discuss the different treatment options with you.

Some operations or treatments will only be recommended for some patients. All patients with this condition will be referred to the Community musculoskeletal service (MSK) for clinical triage, assessment and treatment.

The MSK service will assess your condition to identify the best treatment plan for you.

• Where you would benefit from further support or management or when additional examination, test or investigations are needed to review your case to decide the best treatment plan you will be offered an appointment with clinicians within the community MSK service to discuss this.
• You may be referred to a physiotherapist if the condition is one that is best managed by physiotherapy, advice, self-management or where there is no clear indication for surgery.
• You may be offered treatment including individual sessions, exercise classes, hydrotherapy, tai chi or core stability exercises where appropriate.

The MSK service will also assess whether or not you meet the clinical conditions or criteria. Please click here to look at the criteria for a knee replacement.

• If you don’t meet the criteria then you will be offered the most effective treatment for your particular condition (see above)
• If you meet the criteria for surgery and this is the best treatment option for you the MSK service will refer you to secondary care

If you don’t qualify for the treatment, but your doctor or nurse thinks that there are exceptional clinical circumstances in your case then they may submit an Individual Funding Request (IFR) to an independent panel for consideration.

The IFR panel meets weekly and aims to consider cases within 14days. The panel’s decision will be communicated to you by letter if you are an adult or by letter to your GP if you are the guardian of a child applying for funding.

If your IFR application is rejected (meaning that your surgery will not be funded by the NHS), then you or your GP has the right to appeal to the IFR panel against this decision within 90days. The panel is independent to your local Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).