Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make an assessment of the benefits to the NHS of a preventative public health approach to musculoskeletal conditions.

Public Health England (PHE) has limited data on the prevalence of all musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions in England. However, Arthritis Research UK (AR-UK) in collaboration with PHE have developed a prevalence calculator that will provide estimates of the prevalence of the commonest groupings of MSK disease when it is launched later this year. PHE has contributed to local authority based briefings which AR-UK aim to publish shortly.

We know from the Global Burden of disease that in 2010 MSK was a major cause of years lived with disability in the United Kingdom. This was estimated at 30.5% (range 25.5—35.7%)

Hip and knee replacement surgery is common and MSK conditions are common in primary care so there is a significant direct cost to the National Health Service. However, there is no modelling that shows what the impact of different preventative approaches might have on MSK although we know that obesity, physical inactivity, smoking and alcohol are modifiable risk factors that contribute to the risk of specific MSK conditions.

PHE is playing its role through work across the life course to promote the healthy behaviours which reduce the risk of MSK through increasing physical activity, reducing obesity, smoking and excessive alcohol consumption in the population.