Major £3.5m DWP shake-up to be launched in 17 components of England
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is making a big change to the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in 17 parts of England as part of a £3.5million fund
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has rolled out a hefty £3.5m fund designed to assist folks with back issues get back into the workforce across 17 English regions, in what’s being dubbed a significant overhaul. This move is part of a broader strategy to slash the soaring benefits bill.
The DWP announced that 17 Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) dotted around England will divvy up a slice of the £3.5million pot to bolster musculoskeletal services. With each area poised to pocket up to £300,000, the initiative targets one of the top causes of economic inactivity.
It’s all part of the Government’s Plan for Change, aiming to fatten wallets and prop up the NHS. Professor Tim Briggs, the big cheese for Clinical Improvement and Elective Recovery at NHS England and head honcho of the Getting it Right First Time programme, chimed in: “The NHS has a proven record of spearheading improvements through the Getting it Right First Time Programme and this initiative could make a real difference to people with MSK conditions– providing them with the care they need and helping them to return to work.”
“Local health systems will be able to assess their current services and share examples of best practice to roll out innovative ways of working, as well as improving data on how services are performing.”
Deborah Alsina MBE, Chief Executive of Versus Arthritis, said: “With over 20 million people living with musculoskeletal conditions, including 10 million with arthritis, Versus Arthritis understands the devastating impact these conditions can have on working lives.”, reports Birmingham Live.
“Arthritis can cause debilitating pain, joint stiffness and prevent people doing everyday tasks, with work sometimes made to feel an impossible challenge. MSK Community Services can be an invaluable resource for people with arthritis, and we are delighted to see the launch of this programme in dedicated sites across England, and in the future across the whole country.”
The locations of the 17 ICBs taking part in the programme which also have some of the longest MSK 18 week waits are:
- Birmingham and Solihull ICB
- Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire ICB
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough ICB
- Cheshire (NHS Cheshire and Merseyside ICB) ICB
- Cornwall ICB
- Devon ICB
- Dorset ICB
- Greater Manchester ICB – Manchester / Oldham
- Hampshire and Isle of Wight
- Leicester Leicestershire and Rutland ICB
- Norfolk and Waveney ICB
- North Central London ICB
- North East and North Cumbria ICB
- North East London ICB
- Northamptonshire ICB
- Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin ICB
- Sussex ICB
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