Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy Self Referral

Please only use this service if you are experiencing symptoms affecting a joint, muscle, tendon or nerve, are over 16 and registered with a Doncaster or Bassetlaw GP. 

For any other physiotherapy referrals, including community (home visits), breathing problems and neurology (e.g. stroke) related issues, please see your GP.

We may not be able to accept your self referral based on your responses. We will provide you with guidance should that be the case.

How do I refer?

You can self refer into the service using the online referral form below. The form will give us more information to make sure you are accessing the most appropriate service for your condition.

Self referral form

It will be helpful to have your NHS number to hand. If you are unsure of your NHS number please follow the link below:

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/online-services/find-nhs-number/

If you require help with the online referral form, please contact our booking team on 01302 644200.

Your appointment

After we receive your referral, your referral is reviewed and prioritised to determine the level of urgency of the condition.

The level of urgency will determine how soon the appointment is.

Often, we have to keep a waiting list and you will be contacted via phone or letter when an appointment becomes available.

Planning for your appointment

Your first appointment will be face to face and takes between 30 and 60 minutes, dependant upon the condition. If you would specifically like to request a telephone or video consultation, please make our booking team aware when arranging your appointment. Please note,  for the majority of conditions, a physical examination will be required, therefore a face to face appointment would be recommended.

Consider wearing clothes that you can move easily in and that may allow the physiotherapist to see your problem area if necessary.

Please bring a list of medication with you on the day.

During your appointment

You will discuss your problem with the therapist. They will ask questions relating to your problem, which might include:

  • The history of your condition
  • Activities that influence your symptoms
  • Your general health and wellbeing
  • Medical history and medication
  • Your work, hobbies, commitments and interests and how they are affected
  • Your GOALs, what you are wanting to achieve from physiotherapy

The therapist will discuss their assessment findings and the treatment options that they think may be helpful to you. Together you will agree a plan. There are some tools (Decision Support Tools) for specific conditions that have been devised to help you to think about what kind of support you may need. It may be helpful to look at these ahead of your appointment.

You will have the opportunity to ask the therapist questions.

The physiotherapist will explain how they can help or support you with your problem. They will discuss changes that you can make, or exercises that may aid your recovery and future health. Experience has shown that your active participation will help you to manage your condition more effectively.

As we are a teaching hospital, students supervised by qualified staff might be involved in your care. If you do not want to be treated by a student then please tell us. We will always respect your wishes.

If you need a chaperone, interpreter or hospital transport (criteria dependant) then please let us know when you book your appointment.

Cancelling your appointment

If you are running late or unable to make your appointment, please contact us as soon as possible on 01302 644200.

If you are late, we may not be able to see you as this can cause delays for patients who have appointments after you.

If you fail to attend your appointments and have not notified us, you will be discharged from our service. If you still require an appointment, you will need to get another referral.


Our locations

Clinics are held in various locations across the Doncaster and Bassetlaw region. The links below will give you the address details of all sites.

Doncaster Region

Doncaster Doncaster Royal Infirmary How to find us information can be found here.

Mexborough  Montagu Hospital How to find us information can be found here.

Askern (The White Wings Centre) How to find us information can be found here.

Edlington (The Martinwells Centre) How to find us information can be found here.

Thorne (The Vermuyden Centre) How to find us information can be found here.

Bassetlaw Region

Worksop Bassetlaw Hospital How to find us information can be found here.

Retford Primary Care Centre How to find us information can be found here.

Harworth (Harworth Primary Care Centre). How to find us information can be found here.

If you have a face to face appointment, please check which site you need to attend prior to your appointment.

Please note that not all speciality clinics are available on all of the above sites.

Not all health centres will have an available receptionist. If that is the case, please find a seat in the waiting area and your therapist will call you through at your allocated appointment time.

If you are unsure if you are in the correct place, or you have not been called through within 5 minutes of your appointment, please call 01302 644200 to speak a member of our booking team.

If you plan on using your own vehicle to attend your appointment, please allow adequate time to find a car parking space. Information can be found below for on-site car parking details:

Doncaster Region

Doncaster Royal Infirmary 

Mexborough Montagu Hospital 

Askern (The White Wings Centre) 

Edlington (The Martinwells Centre) 

Thorne (The Vermuyden Centre)

Bassetlaw Region

Bassetlaw Hospital General

Retford Primary Care Centre 

Harworth (Harworth Primary Care Centre)


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