New Barnsley service to improve waiting times for back, muscle and joint pain

A new way of assessing and referring Barnsley people for back and joint problems will start in April 2018.

The new service will improve waiting times for an initial clinical assessment, as GPs will now refer people directly to our assessment team, who will contact them within two days.

The current service meant that not everybody gets an initial assessment and so be referred for one type of treatment, only to find that it wasn’t the best one for them at that time. These different ways of referring mean that people could be waiting longer for assessment and treatment.

An initial assessment within two days of a referral is in line with the latest guidance for back, muscle and joint conditions, sometimes called musculoskeletal or MSK, which was published this year by NHS England.

The new service, which also includes treatments such as hydrotherapy and physiotherapy, will start in April 2018.