The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in Birmingham has officially launched the MSK Academy, a new national training initiative designed to equip healthcare professionals with advanced skills in musculoskeletal care.
The MSK Academy will offer both virtual and face-to-face learning opportunities, supporting early career practitioners in Allied Health, nursing, GP training, and surgical specialisms—both within ROH and across the wider NHS.
The Academy will harness ROH’s existing education, library and research services, while leveraging partnerships with industry and universities to deliver high-quality training. It builds on ROH’s reputation as a national centre of excellence in orthopaedics and MSK care.
ROH is home to the Birmingham Orthopaedic Training Programme, one of the UK’s largest and most successful programmes for trainee orthopaedic surgeons. It also collaborates with the University of Birmingham and Aston Medical School to deliver undergraduate placements for nurses, physiotherapists, and medical students.
MSK Academy Clinical Lead, Uzo Ehiogu, said:
“MSK conditions are highly prevalent in this country – chronic joint pain affects nearly 9 million people in the UK and MSK conditions account for over a quarter of GP consultations.
“For the NHS to help bring these numbers down we need to arm first contact practitioners and GPs with the knowledge to prevent MSK conditions from worsening, aid early decision making in the patient pathway and support staff across the entire patient journey in providing the best patient care. We’re really excited to be launching the MSK Academy to help tackle these challenges and support healthcare professionals across the region.”
The MSK Academy is aiming to become a national resource for MSK education, supporting the NHS’s commitment to clinical excellence, workforce development, and improved patient outcomes.
By investing in the next generation of MSK specialists, ROH is helping to ensure that patients across the UK receive exceptional care for musculoskeletal conditions—from diagnosis to rehabilitation.
Image credit: iStock
