The Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has taken care into the community, giving over 100 patients the opportunity to be seen quicker and closer to their homes.

Working with colleagues from LED Community Leisure and NHS Devon, the Royal Devon Community MSK (Musculoskeletal) Physiotherapy Service held a community appointment day at LED Exmouth Leisure Centre on Thursday 21 May, providing a one-stop shop for patients that focused on providing a localised and person-centred approach to their care.

Rather than waiting for an appointment and attending a community hospital, 112 routine MSK patients in Exmouth and East Devon came along and spoke to clinicians for expert advice and guidance to support the self-management of their conditions.

Physiotherapists were on hand to provide immediate access to exercises and rehabilitation support for patients that needed it after their consultations. There was also the opportunity to have an NHS health check, which was supported by Royal Devon nurses, who provided vaccinations where appropriate.

Community frailty practitioners from the Royal Devon also provided assessments on the day, and a social prescriber from the Woodbury, Exmouth and Budleigh Primary Care Network supported patients by offering free sign-ups to ‘active start’ programmes at the leisure centre.

By focusing on patient-led conversations delivered in community spaces, it meant care could be delivered in a different way, moving away from more traditional consultation spaces and into somewhere familiar and closer to home.

Attendees also had the chance to talk to representatives from 23 local organisations, such as Active Devon, Seachange, Open Door Exmouth, and the Hope Programme. By offering this easy and immediate access to a wide range of local services supporting with housing, work, mental health, long-term conditions, physical activity, and more, patients were able to leave feeling supported and linked in to what is available within their community.

One of the patients who attended on the day said: “I was amazed at how quick and efficient everything was. After I checked in, I wasn’t waiting for long before I was talking to someone, and everyone I saw listened to what I had to say and answered all my questions.

“I thought I’d be on a waiting list for a lot longer, so to have this opportunity to be seen a lot quicker, and in the centre of town where there’s plenty of space and parking, has been fantastic. I think this is a great way to see patients quickly but in a way that works for them, and I hope to see more things like this in the future.”

Clare Cambray, Professional Lead for the MSK Physiotherapy Service at the Royal Devon, said: “Our first community appointment day in Devon has been a big success, with great turnout and lots of really interesting conversations with patients.

“The day was about seeing people beyond their muscle or joint complaint and linking them with their community and the organisations that are on their doorstep, empowering them to manage their conditions as well as they can without the need for ongoing NHS intervention.

“I’d also like to thank the teams at NHS Devon, LED Exmouth Leisure Centre, and all the local organisations that took part in the day. This was a real collaborative event and everyone came together to make it a success.”

With increasing pressures on the local healthcare system, the Royal Devon is constantly looking for new ways and projects to improve services for local people and communities, increasing access and driving down waiting lists.

Initiatives like the community appointment day are part of this work, and support the reduction of waiting lists by not only allowing clinical and support teams to see patients more efficiently, but more importantly, they do it in partnership with the local community.

This work is a vital part of the Royal Devon’s drive to deliver care in different ways and help make neighbourhood health a reality. It ties directly into key aims of NHS Devon’s One Plan for Devon and the government’s 10 Year Health Plan for England, improving access to care and focusing on early and preventative interventions.