The pilot project in Blackpool forms part of the national ukactive organisation’s vision for leisure centres and gyms to play a greater role in supporting the NHS and social care services and integrate more leisure facilities into the nation’s healthcare infrastructure.

More than 20 million people in the UK suffer from an MSK related condition, which accounts for the third largest area of NHS spending at £5bn annually.

These conditions can cover a range of health problems relating to joints, bones and muscles such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, fractures, back and neck pain and connective tissue disorders.

The MSK hubs initiative is part of a two-year research project investigating how to transform leisure facilities into musculoskeletal hubs that can be accessed in every community.

The research project is led by a health and fitness consortium including ukactive, Good Boost, Orthopaedic Research UK, ESCAPE-pain and Arthritis Action.

The wider project has received £1.4m funding from UK Research and Innovation as part of the Healthy Ageing Challenge.

Active Blackpool will be introducing two programmes to support the aim to reduce health inequalities and the burden placed on the NHS by providing local, supported, self-management options for people to better maintain mobility, physical function and reduce pain through exercise.

The two programmes that will be available include:

• Good Boost: An aqua and land-based exercise rehabilitation programme that uses AI technology to assess individual conditions and create tailored exercise programmes. These sessions are delivered as group sessions to aid social support, while enabling individuals to benefit from a personalised exercise plan.

• ESCAPE-pain: An educational and exercise-based rehabilitation programme, supported by Orthopaedic Research UK, which reduces chronic pain and improves physical and mental wellbeing.

Active Blackpool will also be running social sessions to support individuals living with arthritis hosted in partnership with UK charity Arthritis Action. The free sessions are open to anyone with the condition and provide advice on leading more active lives, pain management and other activities available at the centre.

There will be a drop in session at Palatine Leisure Centre on Monday 18 December, 10:00am to 1:00pm.

For anyone interested in finding out more about the two new programmes and the arthritis sessions - or for more information about these programmes and sessions, email exercise.referral@blackpool.gov.uk

Cllr Jo Farrell, Blackpool Council Cabinet Member for Levelling Up People, said: 

To learn more about ukactive’s vision for MSK hubs, visit ukactive.com