The CSP has welcomed a government announcement of a £3.2m investment to roll out NHS England’s musculoskeletal (MSK) Community Delivery Programme across every health system in England.
The programme, led through NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) initiative, aims to reduce waiting lists, improve access to community MSK services and provide joined-up employment support for people living with conditions such as arthritis, joint pain and back pain.
The national rollout follows a pilot across 17 NHS areas between December 2024 and March 2025, which reduced 18-week waits for community MSK services by 20 per cent.
The programme will support community MSK ‘super clinics’ and multidisciplinary care models that bring together healthcare professionals, employment advisers and wider support services in one place.
Funding will also support dedicated clinical leadership across all systems to drive improvements in care and consistency.
CSP’s assistant director of practice and development, Sue Hayward-Giles said:
We welcome this much-needed focus on MSK issues, which have often been overlooked in the past.
'Faster access to the expert assessment, diagnose and treatment that physiotherapists and other key professionals provide will reduce waiting lists and help keep people in work – or help them return quickly – while reducing the impact on other parts of the system.
'If successful, this initiative is good news for patients and the NHS and represents a long overdue recognition of the critical importance of addressing MSK health.'
The programme reflects the growing recognition of the role physiotherapists play in prevention, rehabilitation and supporting people to remain active and independent.
The CSP has consistently called for greater investment in rehabilitation services and workforce capacity to improve access to physiotherapy and reduce delays in care.
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