All Wales multi-professional musculoskeletal capability framework for primary and community care

HEIW, in collaboration with musculoskeletal (MSK) professionals from health boards, trusts, higher education institutions, and professional bodies across Wales, have developed a multi-professional MSK capability framework for practitioners providing care to people with MSK conditions in primary and community care adult settings in Wales.

The term ‘Primary Care’ applies in its widest sense, encompassing the continuum of Primary and Community Care services who provide and coordinate care as part of a whole system pathway approach.

Noting that working ‘in Primary Care’ is not about delivering a secondary care model in another location, and service delivery is not predicated on one location, but will encompass a variety of settings based upon local pathway and partnership working arrangements e.g. general practice, community facilities and outpatient settings.

Aim of the Framework

This framework defines the capabilities required by professionally registered clinicians to meet the current and predicted health and wellbeing care needs of people with MSK conditions in primary care settings. This will ensure consistency in the development of the current and future MSK workforce, and therefore the care provided by clinicians and services across Wales for people with MSK conditions, that will meet the quality standards set out in the Quality Statement for MSK Health (2023)

This framework aligns to the Framework for Enhanced, Advanced and Consultant Clinical Practice (2023) and Credit and Qualifications Framework (CQFW) | GOV.WALES.

If you have any queries relating to the development of this work, please contact heiw.primarycare@wales.nhs.uk