It’s a question that sometimes comes up during appointments at The Hive: will you speak to my GP?

The answer is sometimes, yes — but we won’t routinely contact your GP just because you’ve booked an appointment with us.

For many people, there’s no need for us to contact their GP at all. However, there are situations where communicating with your GP or another healthcare professional can be useful.

What if you think I need to see my GP?

Your first appointment isn’t simply about deciding what treatment to provide.

We’ll talk to you about what’s been happening, take a relevant medical history and carry out an assessment. Part of our role is considering whether chiropractic or osteopathic care is appropriate for you, or whether something else needs to happen first.

If your chiropractor or osteopath thinks your symptoms need further medical assessment or investigation, we’ll explain why and discuss the next steps with you.

That might mean recommending that you make an appointment with your GP or, depending on the circumstances, seek advice from another healthcare professional.

Will you contact my GP for me?

Where appropriate, and with your consent, we can write to or liaise with your GP or another healthcare professional involved in your care.

For example, we may want to provide relevant information from our assessment or explain why we’re recommending further medical assessment.

We’ll discuss this with you first rather than simply contacting your GP without your knowledge.

What about scans or further investigations?

Sometimes people come to us wondering whether they need an X-ray, MRI scan or another investigation before anything else can happen.

That isn’t something you necessarily need to work out before booking.

If, following your history and assessment, we think further investigation may be appropriate, we’ll explain our reasoning and discuss what we recommend you do next. This may include speaking to your GP or another appropriate healthcare professional.

Equally, we don’t recommend imaging routinely for everyone who comes to see us. Whether further investigation is appropriate depends on the individual circumstances.

What if chiropractic or osteopathic care isn’t appropriate for me?

We’ll tell you.

An important part of an assessment is working out whether you’re in the right place. There may be occasions when we feel another healthcare professional should assess you instead, or when we recommend further medical investigation before considering treatment with us.

Our aim is for you to understand what we’ve found, what we recommend and why.

Do I need to speak to my GP before booking?

Not usually.

You can generally book directly with a chiropractor or osteopath without a GP referral. We’ve covered this in more detail in our article “Should I see my GP before booking with a chiropractor or osteopath?”

If you’re not sure where to start, you’re also welcome to contact us before booking. We can answer your initial questions and help you decide on the next step.

Did you know?

If pain is affecting you at work, you may be eligible for fully funded chiropractic or osteopathic care at The Hive Health through the In Work Support Service (IWSS).

The service is available to eligible employed and self-employed people, with nothing to pay upfront and nothing to claim back.

Find out more about IWSS and how to access the service here.

The Hive Health is based in Neath and provides chiropractic and osteopathic care for people across Neath Port Talbot and the surrounding areas.



If you have a question before booking, get in touch with the team on 01639 342042 or email hello@hiveneath.co.uk.