East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust (ESHT) will start to provide a new integrated musculoskeletal (MSK) service in Hastings and Rother from 1st July.
The new integrated service will treat people with bone, joint and muscle disorders and conditions in Hastings and Rother. The new service will help to ensure people with musculoskeletal conditions enjoy proactive, joined up care. It will support people with these conditions to live as independently as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes.
The new fully integrated MSK service will include orthopaedics, rheumatology, physiotherapy, orthotics and podiatry. Key improvements will include:
- A single point of access for all patients with MSK conditions
- Ensuring patients are seen by the right person, first time
- Working with primary care and local populations to support self-care and the promotion of independence using education
- Empowering patients to manage their own health and care whenever possible
- Empowering patients to make informed decisions about their treatment throughout their care pathway
- Improve how patients transition through the iMSK Service dealing with one organisation from start to finish.
Dr David Walker, ESHT Medical Director said: “We are delighted to be providing people in Hastings and Rother with a new fully integrated musculoskeletal service. We will be working hard over the next five years to improve the experience of local people using these services; making them more involved and able to play a role in enhancing their own health and well-being.”
Dr Binodh Baskaran, GP at Little Common Surgery, Bexhill-on-Sea and a member of Hastings and Rother CCG’s Governing Body, who played an active role in the procurement process, said: “The new iMSK service has been designed following consultation with local people and it will bring a host of improvements for patients. We look forward to working with ESHT as they roll out the new service and monitoring it as it evolves over the next five years.”
ESHT was awarded a new five year contract following a nine-month procurement process by the Clinical Commissioning Groups. The previous provider was Virgin Care Services and patients will automatically be transferred to the new integrated MSK service hosted by ESHT, at the end of June, and will not be affected by the change of provider. Over the course of the contract ESHT expects to be able to offer patients a choice of where they want to be seen, including at Bexhill, Rye and Hastings.
The new service forms part of the East Sussex Better Together (ESBT) programme to transform health and social care services across East Sussex to ensure every patient or service user enjoys proactive, joined up care that supports them to live as independently as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes.