Two (2) providers, West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust and Allied Health Professionals Suffolk, currently deliver a wide range of MSK services, including a single point of referral; medical interventions; psychological support; holistic therapies; physiotherapy; back and neck services, female continence, inpatient management and patient education and support with a strong emphasis on self-care management through shared decision making.
Both providers have developed and implemented innovative ways of working which has benefited the local health system significantly and has led to a more integrated way of working. Through the procurement, this relationship will be formalised into a truly integrated service delivered seamlessly by a combined team to improve service sustainability.
West Suffolk CCG is to begin a process to ascertain whether the existing 2 providers are uniquely placed and would be most capable of delivering the vision of an ‘Integrated MSK Service’ through joint delivery of a single patient pathway, clinical governance and workforce management arrangements. The CCG will be looking to prove that the organisations are able to deliver the evidence of the following service elements during the procurement process:
— Evidence of successful delivery of integrated service with acute hospital resulting in transformation of clinical pathways,
— Evidence of delivery of county wide MSK and Trauma and Orthopedic single point of access for secondary care services,
— Evidence of long term delivery of web based self-referral access system for physiotherapy, with striation algorithms and triage capability,
— Provision of enhanced telephone access to the system in addition to web access to increase accessibility,
— Self-management advice and guidance prior to first contact, allowing active self-management and reduction in dependence on face to face contact,
— Network of clinical specialists and extended scope practitioners,
— Delivery of First Contact Practitioners in Primary care settings to support GP practices with workforce demand issues,
— Integrated training programme including clinical staff rotation,
— Evidence of organisational consideration to improve the economic, social and environmental well-being of the delivery area, in line with requirements of the Social Value Act 2012.
This process will assess whether West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust and Allied Health Professionals Suffolk are the most capable providers and therefore uniquely placed to deliver West Suffolk CCG’s vision and service specification. The services covered by the arrangement may change and expand as the partnerships develop through a contract of up to five (5) plus two (2) years.