Musculoskeletal Disorders
(asked on 18th May 2026) - View Source
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of waiting times for patients seeking alternative NHS musculoskeletal treatment following the withdrawal of local services.
We know that continuity of care is important, particularly for people with long term conditions. Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning the significant majority of health services within the National Health Service for their local population, which includes a wide range of services, such as community, elective and outpatient care, within which musculoskeletal (MSK) services are typically planned and delivered.
Information on waiting times for MSK services is available at the following link:
To tackle waiting lists, we are working to deliver the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) MSK Community Delivery Programme. GIRFT teams are working with health system leaders to reduce community MSK waiting lists and transform community services to support people with MSK conditions.
As was reaffirmed in the 10-Year Health Plan, we are also committed to continue using independent sector capacity to improve access and reduce backlogs.
ICBs, as healthcare commissioners, are responsible for ensuring value for money is achieved through their contracts with providers. Provider procurement must take place within the rules of the provider selection regime, a flexible and proportionate process for selecting providers of healthcare services so that all decisions can be made with a view to securing the needs of the people who use the services, improving the quality of the services and improving the efficiency of service provision.