Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of proposed neighbourhood health centres being able to (a) improve musculoskeletal health and (b) treat musculoskeletal health issues.

Improving health and work outcomes of people with musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions will help deliver the Government's mission to build a National Health Service that is fit for the future and kickstart economic growth.

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out our vision for a Neighbourhood Health Service. Neighbourhood teams will bring together professionals, including nurses, doctors, social care staff, pharmacists, and health visitors, to provide comprehensive care that fits around people’s lives. Neighbourhood health approaches can help ensure that people with MSK conditions receive more personalised and coordinated support, reducing unnecessary hospital visits and enabling earlier, community-based interventions. Our aim is to have one Neighbourhood Health Centre in each community that brings together NHS, local authority, and voluntary sector services in one place, offering integrated, holistic support for all health needs, which could include MSK care, rehabilitation, and prevention.

We have launched wave 1 of the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme (NNHIP) across 43 places in England. The NNHIP will support systems across the country by driving innovation and integration at a local level, to accelerate improvements in outcomes, satisfaction, and experience for people by ensuring that care is more joined-up, accessible, and responsive to community needs.