A new look NHS physiotherapy service is to be launched in Oxfordshire to improve care for people with muscle, joint and bone issues.

From the beginning of October 2017, the new musculoskeletal (MSK) service will be provided across the county by Healthshare Ltd, which is taking over from previous provider, Oxford University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust/Oxford Health Foundation Trust.

The transfer of the service is being carried out to ensure as little disruption as possible to patients' appointments.  However, because the transfer involves moving on to a new booking system, patients who are already in in the system have received letters advising that their appointment may be cancelled if it falls after 15 September. Healthshare will be in touch directly with patients to ensure they get another appointment as quickly as possible and patients do not need to contact Healthshare themselves.

The new look physiotherapy services are designed to be offered closer to people's homes so  treatment will be provided in different places across the county. This will include GP practices and community hospitals.

• In Banbury, the service will be located on the Horton General Hospital site
• In  Bicester the service will be located at Bicester Community Hospital
• In Oxford City the service will be located  at East Oxford Health Centre
• In West Oxfordshire the service will be located in the Deer Park area and at Chipping Norton Medical Centre
• In South East Oxfordshire the service will be located  in Townlands Hospital in Henley and at Wallingford Community Hospital
• In South West Oxfordshire the service will be located  at White Horse Medical Practice in Farringdon and Woodlands Practice in Didcot. 
    

The number of sites will be increased once the services is fully established.

It is expected most of the staff who have been providing the service so far will continue to do so and will transfer to be employed by Healthshare Ltd, so current patients will  have continuity of care with familiar faces.

Although Healthshare Ltd is a private organisation, it only works within the NHS and is solely funded through NHS contracts; it does not carry out any private work and services are free to patients in the same way as other NHS services.

Healthshare was awarded the contract after Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group carried out extensive engagement with the public and patients to re-design the service to make it more patient centred. Patient representatives also made up part of the evaluation panel to review the applications.