MSK Transformation Programme
Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions affect many people and can affect your joints, bones and muscles and sometimes tissues such as your nerves. They can range from minor injuries to long-term conditions. The Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System is collaborating on a programme to improve local MSK health and services.
Why do we need to transform local MSK services?
- Over 22% of people are physically inactive, leading to lots of joint, bone and muscle problems.
- 30% of all our GP appointments are related to MSK conditions like back pain.
- Access to services is not equitable.
- We don’t do enough to help people self-manage their conditions at home.
- We don’t do enough to help prevent MSK issues from happening.
Aims of the programme
The MSK support and services that people access in Birmingham and Solihull are varied. We want everyone to have the most appropriate care for their needs, so we are implementing a tool to reduce this variation.
This tool will be available to all GPs and other MSK health professionals. It will help them make the best choice for people every time by following standardised pathways.
We are piloting a tool at the moment and hope to implement this across all of Birmnigham and Solihull soon.
Interested in the project? Please contact:
Birmingham and Solihull is a big area with lots of different services. We want to ensure that MSK services are well coordinated and everyone benefits from the same high standard of care. To do this we want to develop a single point of access for MSK referrals.
A single point of access will help ensure that services work together to help everyone access the right support in the right place.
Interested in the project? Please contact:
We know that lots of people can self-manage their MSK condition or injury and recover well with a little bit of support. We don’t offer enough self-management which means that many people wait longer than they need to.
We are introducing a mobile app called getUBetter. getUBetter is a digital tool which provides 24/7 self-management support for people with MSK conditions, building a personalised plan which helps people recover. Of course, a digital solution doesn’t suit everybody, but getUBetter will be a fantastic tool for many.
Interested in the project? Please contact:
Community Appointment Days (CADs) provide a comprehensive range of MSK services under one roof, with same-day access to services including assessments, advice, health promotion, rehabilitation and community and voluntary sector support.
We will start delivering CADs in 2024. This will enable people to access lots more support that can support both their MSK health and their general health and wellbeing.
Interested in the project? Please contact:
The patient information receive is an important part of their care journey. We want to ensure that everyone in Birmingham and Solihull has access to the best resources and advice, presented in a way which meets their needs.
We will standardise information, support improved signposting, make information more accessible and help healthcare professionals to share more information with their patients.
Interested in the project? Please contact:
Poor MSK health has a big impact on how people work and do their jobs. It’s important that employers support their employees MSK health. This is good for people, but also good for business productivity and regional prosperity.
We want to develop a Hub of information for employers and employees which contains lots of information and support to prevent MSK issues and deal with them if they arise.
Interested in the project? Please contact:
Find out more about the programme
The MSK Transformation Programme is being delivered by partners from across Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care System. It is a collaborative programme and everyone is welcome to get involved.
People have helped to drive this programme forward and ensured the voice of people is at the centre of how we make decisions. We want you to continue to be involved and support better MSK health. To get involved contact:
Your engagement really matters
Your engagement has helped to shape the ambition of this programme and ensure it is collaborative, practical and meets your needs. We need your continued engagement as the programme develops. To get involved contact:
The national MSK agenda
A five year strategic framework for MSK prevention is available to read here. The purpose of this document is to provide stakeholders and our system collaborators with a clear statement of PHE, NHS England and Versus Arthritis’s commitments to promote MSK health and to prevent MSK conditions.
NHS England: MSK
Read more from NHS England on MSK health and elective service recovery
Best MSK health
Read the presentation 'The future of MSK and the Best MSK health Collaborative' by Andrew Bennett, National Clinical Director Musculoskeletal Conditions at NHS England and NHS Improvement.
The MSK Digital Playbook
Learn about digital solutions to support the patient journey through secondary care here.