Bucks patients praise 'one-stop' Community Assessment Day
More than 140 Buckinghamshire NHS patients have benefitted from faster access to expert musculoskeletal (MSK) care at a Community Assessment Day (CAD) designed to deliver diagnosis, advice and next steps in a single visit.
The event, organised by Practice Plus Group’s MSK centre in Cressex, High Wycombe, last week, brought together specialist clinicians under one roof to support patients with conditions including arthritis, hip and knee pain, frozen shoulder and soft tissue injuries.
Hosted at Wades Community Centre in Princes Risborough, the initiative offered the added benefit of being based within the community, providing support closer to home and outside of a traditional “medicalised” setting – helping to promote health and wellbeing rather than illness. The team’s CAD service provided a streamlined alternative to conventional NHS pathways, where patients may experience multiple GP referrals and long waits between appointments.
By bringing together MSK clinical specialists and physiotherapists in a single setting, patients are able to leave with a clear plan of care on the same day. This approach is also expected to help reduce NHS waiting times for local patients.
“The Community Assessment Day was really welcome. The staff were so knowledgeable and helpful, and I have come away feeling relieved that I am getting closer to a diagnosis.”
Norman Clelland, Aylesbury resident
As well as clinical assessments, patients received physiotherapy advice and optional health checks, including blood pressure and BMI. Where further investigation or treatment was needed, such as scans or ultrasound-guided injections, patients were referred for follow-up appointments at the Practice Plus Group’s MSK site at the Merlin Centre in High Wycombe.
A pop-up community hub also helped patients access local support and stay active. Organisations including Wycombe Wanderers Foundation, Places Leisure Princes Risborough, Nuffield Health Joint Pain Programme, Fit for Surgery Health Coaching, Simply Walk, Be Healthy Bucks, Social Prescribers, Bucks Talking Therapies and Dementia Support Bucks were on hand to offer advice and connect patients with local activities and services.
Patient feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with many praising the convenience and clarity of the ‘single appointment’ approach.
Norman Clelland, 65, from Aylesbury, attended seeking answers for ongoing knee pain that has kept him off work as a fire engineer for six weeks. He said:
“I just want to be able to get back to work. The Community Assessment Day was really welcome. The staff were so knowledgeable and helpful, and I have come away feeling relieved that I am getting closer to a diagnosis. I will need an MRI at their centre in Cressex in a few weeks on the NHS, but I would consider going private there if it speeds things up. I also learned that if I do need surgery in future, I can choose where to have it on the NHS. Overall, the experience was marvellous, and I hope to be back at work soon.”
Donna, a keen gardener from Great Missenden, attended for advice about her elbow pain and was surprised at how quickly she was seen. She said:
“I was offered an appointment just a few days after speaking to my GP, which was much sooner than I expected. I was given the choice of attending the Community Day or waiting until June, so I jumped at the chance to be seen sooner. The whole experience was very well organised and relaxed, and it was reassuring to speak to multiple specialists in one place rather than waiting for multiple appointments. The community hub also gave a good insight into what’s on in the local area and where I can get more support if I need to.”
Retired Buckinghamshire resident Malcolm Clark, who has been experiencing on-going knee pain, attended for advice on non-surgical treatment options. Following assessment, he has been referred for an MRI and is exploring the option of pain management injections to help him stay active. He said:
“After a thorough assessment, I came away feeling much clearer about what is going on and what I need to do next. I feel confident in the pathway discussed. The location was excellent as it is much closer to home, and it made things very convenient for me and my wife.”
Malcolm Clark, Buckinghamshire resident
“After a thorough assessment, I came away feeling much clearer about what is going on and what I need to do next. I feel confident in the pathway discussed. The location was excellent as it is much closer to home, and it made things very convenient for me and my wife. At my age, as a diabetic I don’t want to go down the surgery route again, so I am hoping I will get some steroid injections to help me with pain-free mobility. My aim is to enjoy my leisure time as much as possible without the painful knee.”
The clinical team behind the event said they were pleased to provide practical, personalised support to so many patients in a single visit. Patients interested in faster access to diagnostics or treatment were also given information about private options – including shockwave therapy, pain management injections and imaging services – through Wellsoon, Practice Plus Group’s private healthcare service.
“We are all delighted with the success of our Community Assessment Day. We worked hard to make the experience as smooth and stress-free as possible for patients and clinicians. At one point, we were even ahead of schedule and feel we gauged the event just right to give patients enough time to feel un-hurried and get all the answers they needed. Many people told us how valuable it was to leave with a clear plan on the day rather than facing further waits. I am incredibly proud of the team for delivering such high-quality care at scale.”
“This event shows how effective a community-based, one-stop model can be. It saves patients time, reduces the need for multiple appointments and helps people feel more in control of their care. We are grateful for the positive feedback and are keen to build on this success by running more events in the future. While some follow-up NHS diagnostics may still involve a few weeks wait, many patients appreciated having the option to explore our private treatment and diagnostic routes so they can return to work, or the activities they love, sooner.”
Following the success of the event, further Community Assessment Days are expected to be planned by the team.
Practice Plus Group MSK operates across nine* locations in existing health centres and hospitals throughout Buckinghamshire. It provides convenient access to NHS diagnostic and treatment services including MRI scans, ultrasound, X-rays and physiotherapy support, helping to reduce local waiting lists and improve outcomes for patients.
The team also offers private MRI, ultrasound, and ultrasound-guided injections for patients who choose this option, via Wellsoon private healthcare from Practice Plus Group. To book, please call 01494 858 488 or visit: https://www.mskdiagnostics.co.uk/private-patients.
