INTEGRATING MUSCULOSKELETAL PATHWAYS

Area(s) of focus: Prioritising prevention and wider determinants to protect the health & wellbeing of people and communities, Develop, grow and invest in our workforce, culture and clinical and professional leadership

The situation

Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions place a high demand across the healthcare system on primary, community and hospital services and make up 20% of all GP appointments. Demand for treatment of conditions is also growing as the population ages and around 30% of people referred to hospital to see a specialist come away with no outcome and are discharged back to their GP; presenting a challenge for both patients and the NHS as a whole.

What we did

Locally, the MSK model was not supporting patients and health care providers, and in 2021 the Integrated Care Board in partnership with University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust and Primary Care Networks set to integrate the pathway. 

The new approach focuses on giving patients the right care, at the right time, in the right place – supporting people at all points on the pathway, starting with prevention of MSK conditions by promoting healthy lifestyle approaches. 

Many musculoskeletal problems are long term conditions that require comprehensive care and pain management strategies by a variety of health professionals and across a range of services. Patients can be referred to a multi-disciplinary hub to receive the most appropriate management rather than to hospital as a first option. 

Pilot clinics were also set up, led by First Contact Practitioners (FCPs), across a number of GP practices in Coventry. Following successful evaluation, including positive feedback from patients, clinics went live in 19 GP Practices across Coventry. 

Feedback

“The vision of the pathway is simply to provide the right care to the right person in a timely manner and appropriate location. Currently a large proportion of referrals to secondary care could have been managed more effectively at an earlier point along the pathway by allied health professionals without the requirement for referral to secondary care. I’m also really keen that we ensure that the people using our services, the service providers and all of our partners are involved so we achieve the ultimate goal which is to provide high value care for the people of Coventry. In the future I would like to see Coventry recognised nationally as a being a centre of excellence for musculoskeletal care.” Dr Christopher Newton, Consultant Physiotherapist at UHCW

To find out more about the success of the MSK initiative, click here.