by Sue Brown, CEO ARMA
I’m delighted to be writing, for the second time this year, about MSK getting a high profile in Government policy. Two months ago I wrote about the Major Conditions Strategy, and now we have a budget which included funding for MSK. By including the word musculoskeletal in such a major annual economic event, the speech has underlined the vital importance of MSK health to our country and our economy.
The budget included three initiatives for MSK:
- Digital resources for MSK and Mental Health – £310 million over 5 years
- MSK Hubs – £20 million over 4 years
- Increase employment advisers in health settings (including MSK services) – £150 million over 5 years
This is a lot of money, although given the numbers of people with MSK conditions, nowhere near as much as it sounds. It is essential that this funding reaches the people who most need it. I think there are some principles related to ensuring this happens.
Consider local need
Both the MSK Hubs and the employment advisers need to be located where they will help the people who most need them. The hubs, which are intended to be sited in community settings, are an ideal opportunity to bring MSK support to people where they are, and so reach communities who don’t find it easy to access traditional models of MSK services.
Engagement with partners outside the NHS
All aspects of this funding should be coproduced with people who will use them. Whether it is designing an app that is user friendly or making an MSK hub attractive to the intended audience, professionals cannot second guess what people need. These initiatives should also involve patient organisations, collaborate with the local authority and engage local employers.
Measure outcomes not outputs
It would be relatively easy to design an app which will help those already managing their conditions fairly well to do so more easily. This will deliver a lot of app users but little in the way of health gain. We need to find a way to focus all these resources on those in most need and judge their success by the increased MSK health of the local population and their ability to work and engage in other activities that matter to them.
If we follow the principles above, I believe we can make a difference with this funding. I also believe that the Budget has a greater significance than that. It feels like a step change in the priority given to MSK and it’s an opportunity I think we need to grasp. We can use it to deliver much more than these three initiatives. This is a signal to every part of the health system that creating MSK health has a high priority.