The Department for Work and Pensions has broken its silence over a potential shake up for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants. The DWP has given an update on PIP reforms for those with back, joint and muscle conditions.
The DWP has announced that people with musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions will be treated “quicker” to help them get back into work as part of the Labour Party government’s new “Get Britain Working” white paper, which was released last year.
The funding – called the MSK Community Delivery Programme – will be delivered through NHS England’s Getting it Right First Time (GIRFT) programme. Minister for Employment Alison McGovern MP, said: “For too long, people locked out of work with health issues have been forgotten about and denied the support they need to get well and get working. It’s stifling our economy and preventing those eager to progress in life from unleashing their full potential.
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“This multi-million-pound funding boost means musculoskeletal patients across the country will get the help they need, as we give clinical leaders the resources to innovate, get people off waiting lists and get Britain working again.”
The MSK Community Delivery Programme will be administered through NHS England’s Getting it Right First Time (GIRFT) programme, and is aimed at giving ICBs more efficient ways of getting MSK patients treated, off waiting lists and back onto the path of employment.
Minister for Public Health and Prevention Andrew Gwynne added in a statement back in December: “With prevention, early detection and treatment, we know that the 17 million people with musculoskeletal issues in England could better manage their conditions, improving their quality of life and enabling them to rejoin the workforce.
“Through the Plan for Change, the government is taking decisive action to drive down waiting lists, improve treatment options and boost the economy.”