Allied Health Professionals Suffolk CIC provides musculoskeletal services, including self-referral access for MSK patients, podiatry, pulmonary rehabilitation, diabetes education, Sexual Assault services, pelvic health services, and physiotherapy. AHP works across Suffolk, north-east Essex, Enfield and parts of Cambridgeshire. In Suffolk, AHP delivers musculoskeletal (MSK) services and self-referral, in partnership with the county’s two acute hospitals and NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board (SNEE ICB). Many primary care appointments are due to MSK problems. AHP’s self-referral system means people can access support 24/7, make a referral without the need to see any primary care clinicians, and tell their story through an online portal or on the telephone to a trained team member. All referrals are triaged by a senior physiotherapist within one day. Impact The process enables clinicians to quickly work with patients to identify their outcome goals and target services to deliver them. For 20% of referrals, patients do not need to see a therapist (because they carry out exercises as prescribed). Those who do attend require fewer appointments than through primary or secondary care referral. This releases primary care clinical time to reduce waiting times. It also supports people returning sooner to work, and carers to continue caring. AHP developed the service iteratively using clinician and patient feedback, with built in clinical algorithms to enable the patients to move through appropriate questions. The portal is an intrinsic element of AHP’s MSK delivery and is linked to its NHS contracts. The approach contributes to the goals in the Get Britain Working White paper and aligns with NHS England’s digital first guidance, self-management approach and integration agenda. • How can we scale up this kind of innovation and create more effective, responsive, and sustainable people-focused public services? Read our January 2026 report. • More case studies of social enterprise innovation
Allied Health Professionals Suffolk CIC provides musculoskeletal services, including self-referral access for MSK patients, podiatry, pulmonary rehabilitation, diabetes education, Sexual Assault services, pelvic health services, and physiotherapy. AHP works across Suffolk, north-east Essex, Enfield and parts of Cambridgeshire. In Suffolk, AHP delivers musculoskeletal (MSK) services and self-referral, in partnership with the county’s two acute hospitals and NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board (SNEE ICB). Many primary care appointments are due to MSK problems. AHP’s self-referral system means people can access support 24/7, make a referral without the need to see any primary care clinicians, and tell their story through an online portal or on the telephone to a trained team member. All referrals are triaged by a senior physiotherapist within one day. Impact The process enables clinicians to quickly work with patients to identify their outcome goals and target services to deliver them. For 20% of referrals, patients do not need to see a therapist (because they carry out exercises as prescribed). Those who do attend require fewer appointments than through primary or secondary care referral. This releases primary care clinical time to reduce waiting times. It also supports people returning sooner to work, and carers to continue caring. AHP developed the service iteratively using clinician and patient feedback, with built in clinical algorithms to enable the patients to move through appropriate questions. The portal is an intrinsic element of AHP’s MSK delivery and is linked to its NHS contracts. The approach contributes to the goals in the Get Britain Working White paper and aligns with NHS England’s digital first guidance, self-management approach and integration agenda. • How can we scale up this kind of innovation and create more effective, responsive, and sustainable people-focused public services? Read our January 2026 report. • More case studies of social enterprise innovation