IOSH hails faster MSD care but calls for stronger prevention focus

The Government’s new initiative will see more than £3 million invested in rolling out NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Musculoskeletal Community Delivery Programme nationwide. The programme builds on a successful pilot that reduced waiting lists by around 20 per cent and brings together clinical care, mental health support and employment advice to help people recover and return to work more quickly.

MSDs – including back pain, arthritis and joint disorders – are one of the leading causes of health-related economic inactivity in the UK, affecting millions of people and keeping many out of work. They can be caused or made worse by work, with 511,000 people suffering from work-related new or long-standing MSDs, resulting 7.1 million working days lost in 2024-25.

IOSH said the Government announcement is a significant step forward in improving access to treatment and supporting people back into employment but stressed that prevention must be central to any long-term solution.

Crucially, IOSH stresses that prevention first-strategies and better-designed work must sit at the heart of this agenda. It says well-designed work – where physical and psychosocial risks are properly managed and tailored to individual needs and capacities – can prevent many work-related MSDs from developing in the first place, while also supporting those with existing conditions to stay in work.

Ruth Wilkinson, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at IOSH, said: “We welcome the Government’s commitment to faster care and better support for people living with musculoskeletal conditions. Bringing together treatment, rehabilitation and employment support is a practical and much-needed element of an effective management system, and one which will make a real difference to people’s lives. It will support them to return to work or stay in work.

“However, we must not only invest in reactive support solutions; we must proactively seek to prevent harm before it occurs.”

IOSH is calling for good OSH to be integrated into the Government’s approach, following the IOSH 10 Principles of good OSH and including:

• prevention – ensuring robust risk management is in place to assess hazards and risks (both physical and psychosocial), identify vulnerable groups and put control measures in place
• good job design – ensuring tasks, tools and work environments are ergonomically designed, reducing risks such as repetitive movement, heavy lifting and prolonged sitting, as well as work organisational factors such as working time
• embedding a ‘health-in-design’ approach – addressing risks early in the planning and procurement of workplaces, processes and technologies
• supporting early intervention – encouraging prompt reporting of symptoms and access to occupational health support to prevent minor issues becoming chronic conditions
• rehabilitation and return to work – policies should be part of a wider employer health, safety and wellbeing strategy geared towards a worker-friendly environment. Such interventions should be tailored to the worker’s needs and abilities
• promoting awareness and training – equipping employers and workers with the knowledge to recognise what could cause harm and how to protect themselves and reduce MSD risks.

Ruth added: “Good work is good for health, but work can only be good when it is safe, healthy and well-designed. Occupational safety and health professionals have a crucial role in creating working environments that prevent harm and support people to stay well.

“By designing work better and acting early, we can reduce the number of people developing musculoskeletal conditions in the first place. This is how we ease pressure on the NHS, support economic growth and, most importantly, improve people’s quality of life.”

IOSH said it stands ready to work with government, the NHS and employers to ensure that prevention is fully embedded alongside treatment and rehabilitation, creating a healthier and more sustainable workforce.