Publish date: 17 October 2025
A Community Appointment Day (CAD) held by our MSK (musculoskeletal) service has been hailed a success for bringing together more than 100 patients with healthcare providers and partner organisations.
In total, 184 individuals from the MSK waiting list were invited to help them explore supported self-management through personalised care conversations centred around "What matters most to you?" This approach helped to clearly identify the needs of each person. Attendees also had the opportunity to access assessments, exercise and rehab support, and connect with the community providers, all in one place.
The event saw an impressive turnout, with 140 people attending. Of these:
- 71% were either placed on a patient-initiated follow-up (PIFU) or discharged.
- 11% of attendees were referred for further investigations such as MRI, X-ray, or blood tests.
- 23 individuals were referred directly to Active Blackpool’s exercise referral scheme, with 19 accessing welcome discussions and gym inductions on the day.
- A patient satisfaction survey revealed that 89.5% of attendees felt considerable or exceptional effort was made to help them understand their health issues.
- Furthermore, 92% felt that considerable or exceptional effort was made to listen to what mattered most to them, and 91% felt included in choosing what to do next.
George Rogers, MSK Service Manager, said, "This day was a great experience and helped showcase some of the tremendous steps that have been made over the last few years in building mutually beneficial links particularly with our colleagues in Active Blackpool. Moving care out of medical environments and into health and leisure facilities has been a significant achievement.
“We look forward to reviewing the journey of the people who attended the CAD at three and six months, as well as reviewing feedback from the clinical and administration team members involved to determine the longer-term effectiveness of the day."
Stephen Hill, Consultant MSK Physiotherapist and Clinical Lead, added: "It was a great day for patients and the MSK team. Following the success of our first CAD event, we plan to adapt the model and hold regular events across Blackpool and Fylde, supported by our colleagues. This will ensure we bring care closer to the patients and hopefully provide a significant impact on our waiting list”.
The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) has endorsed the use of CADs following successful trials elsewhere in the country. Helen Sharma, CSP Head of Practice Improvement, commented: "These CADs are great examples of innovation and evaluation in practice. With the increased demand on healthcare services, it is vital that physiotherapists continue to transform services to better meet the needs of their population."
