President’s Update April 2017

Skills in Musculoskeletal (MSK) Medicine remain at the forefront of the Faculty’s agenda

Promoting SEM as the specialty which has a workforce highly trained in MSK Medicine is as one of our top priorities. We are continuing discussions with key organisations such as NHS England, ARMA, regional and national MSK groups to contribute to planning new services and make commissioners aware that SEM is one of the very few medical specialties where MSK skills are tested, in a theoretical and clinical examination, at College/Faculty level.

Putting forward models of care and examples of practice for the NHS is a large part of how we can influence the landscape. Our Fresh Approach in Practice NHS information document remains useful and relevant when communicating what works and how SEM can improve outcomes and make real cost savings. The help we are receiving from individual Members and Fellows in putting forward their evidence for SEM led MSK services is vital. Recently featured in our response to the Scottish Preventative Agenda Inquiry was NHS Tayside MSK Clinic put forward by Dr Niall Elliot, which, over a 10 year period, seeing approximately 800 patients per year in one session per week has created a £500k – £650k saving for the NHS.

If you are already involved in delivering an NHS MSK service (or pilot) the Faculty would like to hear from you so that we can collate valuable evidence on the effectiveness of these services. You can email me at president@fsem.ac.uk  We hope to provide a “Commissioning NHS MSK services” toolkit on a Members and Fellows area in our website in the next 6 months.

As always, we welcome views from our Fellows and Members on the Faculty and the work it carries out. Our regular Council Meetings provide a platform for our members to get involved via our Council Representatives.

Dr Paul D Jackson, President of the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine (FSEM) UK