Cutting waiting times for musculoskeletal conditions

For many patients the chronic pain and fatigue caused by arthritis, or other musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions can make getting out of a chair, sitting in a car, or catching the bus to an outpatient’s appointment difficult. So being referred for the wrong treatment can be devastating. As a qualified physiotherapist, I’ve witnessed first-hand what a blow being referred to the wrong clinician or for the wrong kind of treatment can have on a patient. As one osteoarthritis patient puts it: “What happens when my body breaks down happens not just to that body but also to my life which is lived in that body. When the body breaks down so does the life.”¹

It is an ongoing battle for NHS Trusts to tackle the elective care backlog and a multipronged approached is needed. Automating triage can save time for GPs and consultants and improve the patient experience and outcomes by speeding up delivery of care

However, with the current length of waiting lists, the reality of self-managing and living with chronic pain, fatigue, loss of mobility and stiffness is affecting the lives of over 20 million people across the UK2 up from 17 million in 2019.3 Having arthritis or another MSK condition can severely reduce the quality of the person’s work and personal life. Depression is four times as common among people living with pain compared to those living pain free and, for the last ten years, MSK conditions have been cited as one of the top two reasons for workdays lost.4 For the NHS too, treating and supporting people with these conditions can have a far-reaching impact on financial and service delivery. MSK conditions account for one in seven GP consultations and were the most recorded reason for hospital admission in 2019/20.4