House of Commons · Westminster Hall
17 December 2024 · 3 other contributors · 3,244 words
Opened by Sonia Kumar Lab Dudley
Responding minister: Andrew Gwynne
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
Sonia Kumar raised concerns about musculoskeletal conditions in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key points
Key requests to Government
The speaker requests the Minister to involve physiotherapists early on from nursery stage onwards to improve the diagnosis of MSK conditions at a younger age for better health management throughout life.
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.
Opened the debate
The speaker is concerned about the lack of awareness and early diagnosis of musculoskeletal conditions, particularly in children. They highlight that many patients are diagnosed late which affects their physical activity, relationships, mental health, and sleeping patterns throughout life. The importance of physiotherapists' role in diagnosing MSK conditions through various methods such as X-rays, MRI scans, and ultrasounds is stressed.
The hon. Member supports Sonia Kumar's point about early intervention in diagnosing MSK conditions and mentions a family member suffering from pregnancy-related osteoporosis, emphasizing the need for early detection through midwives' training as part of the #MeasureThatMum campaign.
The hon. Member commends Sonia Kumar for securing this debate and highlights worrying trends in the press regarding early diagnosis of arthritis among children as young as 11 years old. They suggest that the NHS plan for change over the next five years is necessary to support those affected from an early age through older life stages.
Ms Collinge highlighted the serious impact of musculoskeletal conditions on the health and social care workforce in Morecambe and Lunesdale, where 27% of sickness absence is due to these conditions. She emphasised the need for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment improvements and stressed that mental health impacts should not be overlooked.
Government Response
Andrew GwynneIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Efford. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Dudley for securing this really important debate, and for bringing her professional expertise to the House. Musculoskeletal conditions significantly impact individuals' lives and have significant economic costs; MSK conditions are responsible for up to 30% of GP consultations and over 23 million working days lost in the UK annually. The Government are committed to improving care for people living with MSK conditions by developing a 10-year NHS plan that aims to improve patient access and reduce waiting times, particularly focusing on moving healthcare from hospitals to community settings. This includes exploring how best to support primary and community services improvement for MSK conditions, investing £1.5 billion in capital funding in 2025-26 for new surgical hubs and diagnostic scanners, and launching a set of place-based trailblazers to develop joined-up approaches to work, health, and skills. The Government also recognise the need to address economic inactivity caused by long-term sickness, aiming for an 80% employment rate through initiatives such as Further Faster 20, which will operate in high levels of economic inactivity areas. I am happy to meet my hon. Friend the Member for Dudley further discuss these issues and support fracture liaison services in her area.