A new model of care for people living with long-term conditions could deliver over £1.7 billion in health, economic and societal value if scaled across Greater Manchester.

This report launched today by Nuffield Health and Manchester Metropolitan University, with economic and social value analysis from Frontier Economics, explores how Nuffield Health’s free, community-based Joint Pain Programme supports people living with musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions through structured, supervised exercise. Frontier found that the programme improves clinical outcomes and reduces GP appointments and sick days, supports carers, and enables people to return to work.

Musculoskeletal-related conditions affect around 1 in 5 UK adults. Nuffield Health’s free Joint Pain Programme has delivered a 35% average improvement in pain and a 13-point rise in health-related quality of life scores. Frontier’s social value framework, developed in partnership with Nuffield Health, estimates each successful participant generates £9,108 in social and economic benefit, including reduced care needs, improved family wellbeing, fewer GP visits and higher workplace participation. We found that the programme reduces demand for GP appointments by more than a quarter and the number of sick days by almost a half. Around a quarter of participants are unable to work at the start of the programme, but by the end almost 10% of these can return to work.

Building on this evidence base, a new Long-Term Conditions Programme has now launched by Nuffield Health, expanding access to individuals living with chronic pain, fatigue and breathlessness.

To mark the launch of the programme and share the findings more widely, Nuffield Health and Manchester Metropolitan University hosted a conference in Manchester. Frontier’s Nick Woolley presented findings from the economic evaluation and joined a panel of health experts to discuss the potential for rehabilitation-based models to transform outcomes at scale.

The research also featured in an article in The Guardian, ‘Two hours of exercise a week reduces joint pain and visits to GP’.

Please click here to read the report, ‘A new deal for long-term conditions.’

 For further information please contact media@frontier-economics.com or call +44 (0) 20 7031 7000.