The Musculoskeletal (MSK) Service currently holds a gold award for its Patient, Carer and Public Involvement work. We achieved this recognition for the way we have demonstrated a commitment to putting patients first in all that we do. Below are some examples of how we have accomplished this. More important than the award is the recognition we receive from our patients: over the last year the MSK Service has received positive feedback from over 95.5% of patients surveyed every month.

What is Patient and Public Involvement (PPI)?

PPI is the way in which patients, the public, service users and carers can:

• Influence their own care and treatment
• Have a say in the way services are planned and run
• Help bring about improvements to the way care is provided.

Collaboration with our Fellow Healthcare Professionals

Differential diagnosis information leaflets, covering common conditions across the whole body, have been developed to identify correct MSK pathways for GPs to refer to. The leaflets offer advice on possible assessment and treatment techniques that will help in the management of your patients.

Selections of these leaflets are available here 

Online Information

Our website is continually updated to include extensive information for both patients and healthcare professionals. All of our information leaflets are available online, along with contact details and maps of all the MSK service locations across Leeds. Information on local exercise groups and links to other useful health promotion websites will be accessible via our website. Up-to-date information about our service such as current waiting times, patient satisfaction results, details of the services we provide and how to refer, pathway information and so on will also be easily accessible via the website.

Responding to Feedback

We actively seek the opinions of our patients and other healthcare professionals, and react to this feedback to ensure that we continue to deliver a high standard of service to the people of Leeds.

Surveying patient opinion regarding our yearly service priorities has led to us lowering waiting times, providing patients with more written information and increased patient involvement in planning their own care.

Future projects involve building better links with local community groups, such as local mosques and temples, developing a strategy to manage failure to attend rates, providing GPs with up to date MSK Service information via our website and access to a centralised information phone number/email address.

Advice for Patients

All common MSK conditions have been clearly described in a series of patient-friendly leaflets . Comprehensive and easy to understand, the leaflets also include valuable advice on living with the condition.

Community Foundation Trust  

The organisation is striving to become a Community Foundation Trust. This is a new type of NHS organisation, under which we will become an independent NHS organisation.  If you wish to learn more about Community Foundation Trust or becoming a member please click here.  

Reduced Waiting Times

In response to feedback from our service users, we have worked hard to lower our waiting times to the extent that appointments are now available at many of our sites within 2 weeks.

‘Choose and Book’

The MSK physiotherapy service is now directly bookable on Choose and Book. This provides up-to-date information on waiting times at all our venues, allowing GPs and patients to evaluate preferred options.

Customer Service Feedback

We are constantly improving the service we offer our patients. To do this effectively, we require your feedback. Please take the time to fill in the following survey and tell us what you think:  

Customer Satisfaction Survey

Last year over 2000 patients filled in a questionnaire telling us about their treatment with the Leeds Musculoskeletal and Rehabilitation Service.

97% of patients gave positive answers to all questions. 

Click here for more information on our customer satisfaction survey.