Physiotherapists working for NHS Suffolk have created a new online system which will help them assess patients in advance of their appointments.

SuffolkPhysio is a web based portal which will give those in physiotherapy jobs details of their patients' symptoms and medical history in addition to any medication they are on.

Physiotherapists will use this information to decide whether the patient needs an appointment or whether they would benefit more from advice and exercises discussed via email.

The system, which was designed by two physiotherapists, was developed in collaboration with Health Enterprise East (HEE) the regional NHS Innovation Hub that supports NHS staff in six counties in East England.

SuffolkPhysio is expected to complement the current system where physiotherapists call patients to obtain information. The new system will save the physiotherapist's time, meaning they will have more time to see patients and is more suitable as physiotherapy moves towards self-referral, rather than solely through a patient's GP.

HEE played an integral part in the development of the portal, reviewing the innovation, providing feedback from other trusts and providing development support from its Proof of Concept Fund.

Dr Chandu Patil, senior e-heath consultant at HEE told Health Insider Primary Care: "SuffolkPhysio is another excellent example of using IT to revolutionise a process that results in a faster and more efficient service for the patient."

"It enables physiotherapists to triage patients in order to prioritise treatment when required and to provide advice and exercises in less urgent cases. Not only can this innovation be rolled out in other NHS trusts but it could also be modified for use by other specialities."