MSK patients to get faster care and help returning to work

• £3.2 million government investment to expand NHS programme which cut musculoskeletal waiting lists by 20%
• England-wide rollout to drive improvements across the country and increase access to care
• Funding to ensure patients are offered employment support alongside treatment, tackling one of UK’s leading causes of health-related economic inactivity

Thousands of people living with conditions like arthritis and back pain will receive faster care and help to get back to work thanks to the national rollout of a government pilot scheme.

Backed by more than £3 million of government funding, the expansion of NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Musculoskeletal (MSK) Community Delivery Programme builds on a successful pilot, which cut 18-week waiting lists by 20% across 17 areas between December 2024 and March 2025.

The new funding will support MSK community appointment days - innovative one-day clinics that bring health specialists and mental health support and physical activity services together, allowing people to engage with multiple services in one visit. 

It will also support “super clinics”, which rapidly increase clinical capacity and provide one-to-one, in-depth clinical diagnostics and targeted treatments.

Funding will also be directed at areas with the greatest need to remove the current postcode lottery and improve local services where the need is greatest.

Minister for Public Health and Prevention Sharon Hodgson said:

I’m delighted to announce the national rollout of such a successful scheme, which will help address the unacceptably long waits for painful musculoskeletal conditions.

Patients are suffering, and so is the economy, which is why this government is taking a new approach to cutting waiting lists while supporting patients back into employment.

The NHS should drive economic growth, and by getting people with painful MSK conditions the care they need faster, they stand a better chance of getting a job and back to normal life.

The rollout will address the long waiting lists for community musculoskeletal care that this government inherited.

The scheme brings together health specialists, employment advisors and wider support services so patients can access everything they need in a single visit, rather than being forced to get support in different settings – often while dealing with excruciating pain.

Musculoskeletal conditions affect nearly 18 million people in England and are among the leading causes of health-related economic inactivity in the UK, accounting for 100,000 people currently signed off work. More than half a million people who are currently economically inactive for health reasons report a musculoskeletal condition.

Crucially, the programme places a strong emphasis on helping people get back to work. The expansion will ensure that access to work and health support is woven into community MSK care as standard - not treated as an afterthought.

This supports the government’s efforts to boost economic activity.

Minister for Employment Dame Diana Johnson MP said:

No one should feel locked out of work because of a painful joint or muscle condition, and this investment will make a real difference to hundreds of thousands of people across England.

By ensuring MSK services direct people to employment support, we are making it easier for people to get well and get back to work, and the pilot results show this approach works.

Giving people they support they need to get into a good, secure jobs is better for people who want to work, for business, and our economy - so that’s what this Government is delivering.

The pilot, which began supporting 17 NHS areas in December 2024, demonstrated that faster, smarter, more effective community MSK care is achievable.

By working with health system leaders to use data, benchmark performance and trial new ways of working, participating areas saw long waits fall rapidly and significantly.

Innovative approaches tested during the pilot included digital tools to help patients manage their conditions remotely.

The new investment will now bring this approach to every corner of England.

Clinical leads will be appointed across all health systems to drive best practice, standardise the quality of care, and ensure patients are routinely connected to employment support alongside their treatment.

Professor Tim Briggs, National Director for Clinical Improvement and Elective Recovery at NHS England and Chair of the Getting It Right First Time programme, said:

It’s hugely encouraging to see this transformative initiative now being expanded across every health system in England after seeing waiting lists fall by 20 per cent across 17 pilot areas in just a few months.

Musculoskeletal conditions are one of the biggest drivers of sickness absence and economic inactivity, affecting around 17 million people nationwide. This rollout will help many more patients get faster access to high-quality care closer to home.

By bringing together clinical care, employment support and wider community services under one roof, the Getting It Right First Time programme is transforming how the NHS supports people – helping patients not only recover more quickly, but return to work, independence and everyday life.

Sue Hayward-Giles, Assistant Director of Practice and Development at the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, said: 

We welcome this much-needed focus on MSK issues, which have often been overlooked in the past. 

Faster access to the expert assessment, diagnosis 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 rollout is part of the government’s broader mission to shift more NHS care out of hospitals and into communities, reduce waiting lists, and help more people live healthier, more productive lives.

It sits alongside a wider package of employment support for people with health conditions as the government works to tackle economic inactivity and get Britain working.

Fergal Monsell, President, British Orthopaedic Association, said:  

Improving access to high quality care for patients with musculoskeletal (MSK) health issues is key to enabling people to return to work, caring responsibilities and regaining their independence.

Patients must be seen by the right clinician in the right place with pathways facilitating care by orthopaedic surgeons, first contact practitioners and other MSK specialists in the most appropriate settings.

Deborah Alsina MBE, Chief Executive of Arthritis UK, said: 

Community MSK waiting lists are among the longest in the NHS, with people waiting far too long in pain for treatment. An injection of funding focused on reducing community waiting times is a welcome step forward for people living with arthritis and MSK conditions across England.

Access to timely, holistic treatment and care remains a barrier for many, negatively impacting their mental and physical health, their ability to work and to live their lives. Much of this care can and is being delivered in a community setting but we must do more to ensure equitable access.

We hope the announcement of clinical leadership in every local area will start to tackle the existing postcode lottery, but it is essential this is underpinned by a well-trained workforce and an ongoing commitment from Government to meet the needs of people living with arthritis and MSK conditions.

Background

• A £3.225 million investment is being allocated for the rollout.
• The programme is being delivered jointly by DHSC, NHS England’s GIRFT programme and the Department for Work and Pensions.
• The GIRFT MSK Community Delivery Programme pilot ran from December 2024 to March 2025. An evaluation found a statistically significant reduction of approximately 20% in 18-week-plus community waiting lists in participating Integrated Care Boards. Please find more here: Support for thousands with musculoskeletal conditions as government tackles inactivity - GOV.UK