Lloyd Price
- Dec 7, 2022

getUbetter 'Digital MSK Self Care Platform' goes mainstream across NHS

Digital Health London alumnus and current NHS Innovation Accelerator company getUBetter has just announced its 15th ICS contract with South Yorkshire Integrated Care System (ICS) distancing itself from other suppliers as the market leader with 36% ICS market share across England. The evidence based and CE marked 'Digital MSK Self Care Platform' for all common MSK conditions and women’s pelvic health is now available to a total eligible population of 15M+ people.

Common musculoskeletal injuries and conditions account for up to 18% of GP appointments and cost the NHS £5 billion per year. Approximately 20% is over-treatment with a growing number of people waiting for treatment with no effective support. It is widely acknowledged that many MSK conditions can be managed with the correct self-management strategies, reducing over treatment.

1 in 3 women will experience a pelvic floor disorder in their lifetime, the majority wait 6+ years to be treated, often due to the highly personal and sensitive nature of their condition. This is a hidden condition that is commonly normalised and misunderstood. Women often report a lack of confidence to manage their pelvic floor symptoms, compounded by limited access to expert advice and support. This has a major impact on women’s lives that can be dramatically improved with early evidence-based support. Services aren’t currently able to meet the support standards set out by NICE.

The getUBetter platform helps ICSs to support self-management across their entire care pathway. It provides people with support 24 hours a day 365 days a year taking them through their recovery day by day and providing them with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to self-manage. Support is provided through triage, advice, exercises, outcome measures, safety netting and referral when necessary.

getUbetter has been recognised nationally as a leading innovator and 'NHSx MSK Digital Playbook' Case Study (2) evidencing a 4:1 return on investment for providers, for every £1 spent, getUBetter saves £4.20. One of the main sources for the ROI model was a mixed-methods evaluation co-produced involving getUBetter, Wandsworth Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, DH.L, the University of West of England, and the HIN. (3)

Carey McClellan, getUBetter founder and CEO said

“It is fantastic that we are able to support nearly one third of ICSs to deliver digital self-management support at scale and helping people to trust their recovery and only use stretched services when necessary. The addition of women’s pelvic support means we can now help support even more people. We believe that nobody should have to wait for local self-management support and is why getUbetter is made available to the whole population at the earliest possible opportunity”

The MSK platform was originally co-produced with clinicians and patients from the South West London ICS who were also the first to sign an ICS wide contract.

Jane Thorpe, Deputy Director of Transformation at South West London ICS said

“We have been working with the getUBetter team for 4 years and very early on we saw the potential impact that getUBetter could deliver in providing digital self management support across our MSK pathways. This potential has been realised and we now have real world evidence of a 13% reduction in first time GP appointments, 15% reduction in repeat GP appointments, 50% reduction in prescribed medication, and a 20% reduction in physiotherapy referrals (1). It is fantastic to see so much more of the NHS now benefiting”