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Written question asked by Adam Dance (Liberal Democrat) on Friday, 29 May 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 2 June 2026. It was answered by Sharon Hodgson (Labour) on Friday, 5 June 2026 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.


Musculoskeletal Disorders: Yeovil

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure people are able to access timely diagnoses for (a) arthritis and (b) musculoskeletal conditions in Yeovil constituency.

Answer

The Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Yeovil Hospital, is commissioned to provide all National Institute for Health and Care Excellence-approved biological medicines for arthritis, which, when used in appropriate patients, produce substantial clinical improvements.

The rheumatology department is a multi-disciplinary team of doctors, specialist nurses, physiotherapists, radiographers, occupational therapists, and administrative staff. Patients can be referred by their general practice (GP) teams for diagnosis, treatment and, when appropriate, long-term management of patients with a range of musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders, including inflammatory arthritis, soft tissue rheumatism, osteoarthritis, connective tissue diseases, and osteoporosis. Clinics run in Yeovil, Taunton, and at a number of community hospitals, depending on the condition.

NHS Somerset has a self-referral based MSK condition app, the getUBetter app, that helps provide support and exercises to patients with minor MSK conditions and complaints, and which includes support on returning work.

The Orthopaedic Assessment Service in Somerset provides a specialist opinion for patients who have an orthopedic or MSK problem where treatment by their GP, physiotherapist, or podiatrist has not managed the symptoms and where further assessment is required.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
4777
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Musculoskeletal disorders Yeovil
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk