Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce waiting times for patients waiting to see an NHS (a) physiotherapist and (b) orthotist.
Physiotherapy and orthotic services are commissioned locally by clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and data on waiting times for physiotherapy and orthotic services are not collected centrally.
NHS England published guidance in 2015 setting out plans to tackle unwarranted regional variation in access to orthotic services. The guidance ‘Improving the Quality of Orthotics Services in England’, included a model services specification and set out 10 recommended steps for commissioners to take towards better services for patients including understanding local needs and preferences, delivering services in the community rather than out of hospitals, and encouraging joint working between health professionals to streamline the experience for patients and avoid unnecessary duplication and delays. The guidance is available at the following link:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/commissioning/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2015/11/orthcs-final-rep.pdf