Self-Management Programme (SMP)

A Self-Management Programme (SMP) can be accessed by a referral from anywhere in the care pathway such as a:

• General Practitioner
• physiotherapist
• Musculoskeletal Assessment and Treatment Service (MATS)
• the spinal surgery services at Southmead Hospital Bristol
• Pain Clinic at Southmead Hospital Bristol.

It is fast-track and we rely on the referrer to ensure that the patient is appropriate for a rehabilitative approach, with no planned or on-going investigations/intervention in respect of their pain condition. There should be scope and some motivation for improving how well they are coping with this.

The referrer should ensure that the patient is not suffering from an active disease process with escalating physically frailty, such as advanced osteoporosis, or joint instability such as that caused by Hypermobility Syndrome, or joint damage, possibly secondary to rheumatoid arthritis.

Once we have received the referral, we will invite your patient to attend an Introductory Meeting so that you can find out more about the course. Following this we will offer them a place on a course. These courses run in different venues around Bristol and we will try to offer a place on the most convenient and timely course.