PCNs urged to use physios to tackle MSK backlog

Covid-19 sees further increase in electronic prescription service

MORE THAN 85% of primary care prescriptions in England are now processed electronically, after a rise in use of the service during the coronavirus pandemic.

Data covering April 2020 shows that 86% of prescriptions dispensed within primary care in England were processed using the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS).

That is an increase of more than 10 percentage points since February, when the usage was 73%. In April 2019, usage was 68%.

EPS saves the NHS time and money by reducing the amount of paper processing required by GPs, pharmacists, non-medical prescribers and the NHS Business Services Authority, and also reduces the need for face-to-face contact and unnecessary journeys.

In April, use of EPS was expanded into GP Access/virtual hubs, walk-in centres and out of hours settings. This expansion and focus on increasing the use of EPS in urgent care has contributed to the increase in prescriptions processed using this system.

PCNs urged to use first contact physios to tackle MSK backlog

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BackCare runners to compete in virtual London Marathon

Google searches for back pain help rose sharply during lockdown

PRIMARY care networks (PCNs) are being urged to take up funding for first contact physiotherapists to help tackle a backlog of MSK appointments as lockdown eases.

Earlier this year, it was announced there would be 100% funding for first contact physiotherapy (FCP) roles as part of the revised GP contract in England, with the ambition being that the whole NHS England patient population has direct access to them by 2023/24.

The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) is now calling on PCNs to act quickly in order to support GPs to get through an expected backlog of MSK cases driven by the inactivity and stress caused by lockdown, services not being available and the reluctance of many people to seek GP appointments during that time.

Larry Koyama, the Society’s head of FCP Implementation said: “FCPs are proven to deliver excellent patient care while easing pressures on GPs and reducing onward referrals for tests, scans and secondary care.

“That’s why it is now more crucial than ever for PCNs to take up funding for these roles as Covid-19, months of lockdown and reduced activity levels will have had a serious deconditioning effect on millions of people.

“FCPs can use their expertise to meet this demand, allowing GPs to concentrate on medical cases and the expected increase in appointments sought by people recovering from Covid-19.”

With GP attendances falling significantly during the first months of lockdown, Google searches for back pain help rose sharply during April and May and physiotherapists report increasing numbers of patients presenting with “lockdownrelated” pain, says the CSP. www.csp.org.uk AFTER months of intensive work and consultation with London’s authorities, organisers confirmed the plans for Virgin Money London Marathon on Sunday 4 October 2020. While elite races will take place on an enclosed looped course in St James’s Park, all other participants will run the 26.2 mile marathon distance from home or anywhere in the world on the course of their choice. l Read about BackCare’s runners on page 22.

Cancelled appointments leave many unable to manage their pain

A NEW campaign, Impossible to Ignore, launched by VersusArthritis, calls on all UK governments to make sure the needs of people with arthritis are addressed as they plan to restart treatment and services.

A survey of more than 6,000 people with arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions found that lockdown, and the impact of the pandemic on the NHS, has had devastating consequences for many managing their conditions.

More than 40% reported that appointments for their arthritis had been cancelled; and for those experiencing chronic pain, the proportion was 44%. Planned surgery has also been affected, with hundreds of thousands of people with arthritis waiting for joint replacement operations. They are struggling in agony, often without information about when they can expect to be treated.

One third of respondents said they had been advised to self-isolate – and shielders bore the brunt of cancellations with 46% experiencing cancelled appointments, far higher than cancellations experienced by non-shielders.

When asked about their health, care and quality of life during the pandemic, as many

as 40% have not had access to the care and treatment they needed to manage their pain. Half of respondents reported being unable to manage their pain to do what they wanted around their homes and to undertake basic tasks. A similar number said they are not able to be physically active due to their pain. Inevitably, a large number of arthritis sufferers have been left feeling more lonely or isolated.

Chief Executive of Versus Arthritis Liam O’Toole said: “The NHS has just about survived Covid-19 so far, but at the expense of services that many relied upon to sustain their quality of life. The government must take urgent steps to ensure people with arthritis are not forgotten or ignored.

“It’s imperative that recovery plans include arthritis treatments, including joint replacement surgery, so this crisis does not accelerate further.”

Would you like to take part in a research study

DO YOU have a chronic (or persistent) pain condition – pain that has persisted for at least three months? You may be interested in taking part in a new study being conducted by Teesside University.

This project aims to study activity pacing, which is an approach to managing chronic pain by adapting one’s planning of activities and activity level. It will investigate the relationship between activity pacing and a set of psychological skills known as “psychological flexibility”, and whether this relationship affects outcome in management of chronic pain. It is

Planned surgery has also been badly affected hoped that better understanding of this relationship may shed light on the most effective way to use activity pacing strategies for people with chronic pain conditions.

If you choose to take part, you will be asked to complete a series of questionnaires, which have been collected into an online survey that you can complete at your own pace and convenience. The questionnaires should take no longer than 45 minutes to complete in full.

For more information, email the study co-ordinator Chris MacKellar on V8123711@tees.ac.uk.

Does psychological flexibility moderate the efficacy of activity pacing in chronic pain?