by Sue Brown, CEO ARMA
I’m writing this at the end of a busy week with the launch of our latest ICB report and three significant Government announcements about the NHS. I’m reflecting on what it means for addressing the issues raised by our analysis of ICB Joint Forward plans.
The report highlights that ICBs are not paying sufficient attention to MSK at a strategic level. The majority either don’t consider it at all or focus only on one or two parts of the system in silos. If we are to see the NHS deliver what we, and the Government, wants to see this needs to change. We can’t drive down MSK waiting lists, support people with MSK conditions back into work and make the three shifts on which the ten year health plan is based unless we get a more concerted and more joined up approach to MSK services. It’s clear that for the majority of ICBs, this is not going to happen without some national initiative.
This is why we are calling for a clear steer from Government about how MSK should be addressed at a local level. Some of the responses to our FOI request to ICBs referred to the Major Conditions Strategy and to the Best MSK Health Programme indicating that national policy has some impact. It’s not about telling systems exactly what to do. It’s about giving a really clear steer from the centre about the appropriate priority to be given and ensuring that they all take appropriate action.
One thing is clear to me, appropriate action must include a Board-level, joined-up approach for MSK. If the new ten year health plan is going to be condition agnostic, then it won’t deliver that steer for MSK. Which is why ARMA is calling for an MSK strategy to sit under the ten year plan. The plan could have a lot to offer people with MSK conditions and a focus on MSK has so much to offer in relation to the three shifts the Government wants to see.
To make that a reality, we need local systems to step up and make MSK a priority. Whether they are in NHS England or part of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), we need strong MSK leadership, with an understanding of the complexity of MSK across primary, secondary and community services. Systems need support to shift to good, integrated MSK services appropriate for their population. And the transition from NHSE to DHSC needs to be done in a way that can keep momentum behind the changes needed.
Getting this right would be a win for everyone.