A physiotherapy lead working with children and young people in the region is helping push paediatric musculoskeletal care higher up the national health agenda.
Chloe Wearmouth, Children’s Physiotherapy Team Lead for Outpatients at County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, has shared her experience in an article for MSK Magazine calling for greater investment in specialist services for children.
Musculoskeletal care covers problems affecting muscles, bones and joints. Chloe’s argument is that children need care designed around their development rather than simply being treated as smaller adult patients.
The trust is among a relatively small number of NHS organisations where children’s physiotherapy is delivered by clinicians with paediatric training. That gives young patients access to assessment and tailored to their age and stage of development.
Her national contribution follows work closer to home. Last year Chloe worked with the Getting It Right First Time team on a review of paediatric musculoskeletal across the North East. The project identified variation between services and highlighted the need for stronger collaboration and more consistent care.
Chloe also chairs the North East Musculoskeletal Society, where she has helped expand training and professional development focused on children’s services.
The wider message is simple: supporting movement, confidence and physical activity during childhood can have an impact well beyond an individual appointment, helping young people build habits and confidence that carry into adult life.
: County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust.