Work underway to transform health services for joint, bone and muscle conditions in Shropshire
Work to transform services in the county that are used by patients with conditions affecting joints, bones and muscles has picked up after it was slowed down due to the pandemic, bosses say.
Prior to the pandemic, an alliance of health organisations were looking at musculoskeletal (MSK) services in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin.
Health bosses say they want to strengthen community provision over the next five years, making sure people are cared for at the right time and in the right place.
It will be developed in three phases over the coming years in partnership with staff and people who use the services.
The first phase will involve testing a new model of care which places greater emphasis on earlier therapy intervention to reduce or prevent the need for surgery.
The aim is to create one single MSK model across the county, including therapies, rheumatology and pain services.
There will also be closer working with mental health services and improved access to patients' clinical records for staff.
The rheumatology service, which deals with the investigation, diagnosis and management of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions, would also be strengthened, bosses say.
The next phase would involve enhancing orthopaedic services and strengthening the support available for primary care, before focussing on support for people with long term MSK conditions.
A statement from the Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care System, which brings together health and social care organisations across the county, said: "We have listened to the experiences of people who use our rheumatology service and our staff and we are making some immediate changes to improve the service.
"An operational manager will have single line of sight over the whole rheumatology service. This will enable us to apply best practice across our service, identify areas of inequality and improve the way the service runs.
"Work on the rheumatology helpline is under way to improve the response times and assessment process to ensure that the right pathway is identified for individuals first time.
"We are improving our communications by updating our patient leaflets and the information available online.
"The changes we are making will enable us to improve the experience and outcomes for people using the service, from calling the helpline, through to assessment, referral and treatment.
"These changes will be reviewed and help to inform the future development of the service."
A monthly update on progress is being provided to the Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care System Musculoskeletal Transformation Board.
