Musculoskeletal Clinical Assessment and Triage Service (MSKCATS)

Last updated: Wednesday 18 September 2024

General introduction

The Musculoskeletal Clinical Assessment and Triage Service (MSKCATS) is a service for patients living in Runcorn or Widnes aged 16 and over who are experiencing any muscle or joint problem. 

Most musculoskeletal conditions will settle within six to eight weeks with the correct self-management and may not need any intervention from a physiotherapist or other healthcare professional.

Advice about simple pain relief can be given by your local pharmacist. There is no need to see a GP for this in the first instance. 

However, if symptoms do not settle down or begin to get worse, please contact your GP to be referred in, if you have a GP in the Widnes or Runcorn area.

How to access this service

MSKCATS is available for patients aged 16 and over with any muscle or joint problem who have a Widnes or Runcorn GP.

If you have any muscle or joint problems you will need to speak to your GP in the first instance.

Your GP may ask some questions to help them determine whether your needs will be best met by the MSKCATS service or the GP practice. If it is determined that you will need an appointment with MSKCATS, the GP practice will book a slot for you to speak to the MSKCATS administrator, who will call you at an allocated time to begin the appointment booking process.

When the MSKCATS administrator calls you, they will ask you a series of questions to establish the nature and urgency of the condition you have. They then will allocate a face-to-face appointment with an advanced musculoskeletal physiotherapy practitioners

You will be sent a text message with your appointment details.

If you require a chaperone, please inform us before your first visit.

About the team

Our team consists of advanced musculoskeletal physiotherapy practitioners who are specialist physiotherapists with expertise in musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions such as back pain, neck pain, and arthritis. They are supported by a team of administration staff.

We provide this service at