Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the workforce development strategy is for (a) GPs and (b) other healthcare professionals in the field of musculoskeletal disorders.

Health Education England commissions education for a range of healthcare professionals who care for patients with musculoskeletal disorders, for example, general practitioners, occupational health physicians, physiotherapists and nurses. The need for these staff is reflected in local and national workforce plans which are developed by providers working with Local Education and Training Boards and service commissioners.

The General Medical Council (GMC) is developing a system of credentialing areas of medical practice which would include areas not covered by existing specialty or sub-specialty curricula. This would enable doctors who have demonstrated competence in defined areas of practice to have their credentials in those areas recorded on the GMC register. Practitioners from musculoskeletal medicine have previously expressed an interest in applying the concept of credentialing to the field of musculoskeletal medicine.

The GMC will be consulting on its proposals for credentialing later this year. Subject to the outcome of that consultation, and the necessary enabling legislation, it would, in due course, be possible for authoritative bodies in the field of musculoskeletal medicine to seek approval for the establishment of a GMC recognised credential in their field.