FOI2026/1950

I am investigating demand for Community Musculoskeletal (MSK), Pain and Related Services, and NHS Talking Therapies (formerly IAPT), across England. Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I would like to request the following information relating to the commissioning and expenditure of each of these types of service by your Integrated Care Board.

1) Community MSK, Pain and Related Services

1. Please describe how Community Musculoskeletal (MSK) services are commissioned within your Integrated Care Board and confirm which of the following services are included within the commissioned contract(s): Community MSK, Physiotherapy, Pain Management, Orthopaedic triage, Rheumatology triage, Diagnostic Imaging Access – please list any additional services not listed above
2. What was the total expenditure (£) on Community MSK and related services for each of the last three completed financial years?
3. What is the expected budget allocated for Community MSK and related services for the current financial year?
4. Please provide the name of the current provider(s) and indicate whether each provider is an NHS Trust, Community Trust, CIC, independent provider or other organisation.
5. For the most recently completed financial year, please provide the amount spent with each provider identified above.
6. Please provide the contract start date, contract end date, and any available extension options for the current contract(s).
7. Are any Community MSK and related service contracts expected to be retendered, recommissioned or otherwise reviewed within the next three years? If so, please provide the expected timing.

2) NHS Talking Therapies (formerly IAPT)

1. Please describe how NHS Talking Therapies services are commissioned within your Integrated Care Board, and confirm whether these services are commissioned as a standalone contract or as part of a broader mental health or community services contract.
2. What was the total expenditure (£) on NHS Talking Therapies services for each of the last three completed financial years?
3. What is the expected budget allocated for NHS Talking Therapies services for the current financial year?
4. Please provide the name of the current provider(s) and indicate whether each provider is an NHS Trust, Mental Health Trust, CIC, independent provider or other organisation.
5. For the most recently completed financial year, please provide the amount spent with each provider identified above.
6. Please provide the contract start date, contract end date, and any available extension options for the current contract(s).
7. Are any NHS Talking Therapies contracts expected to be retendered, recommissioned or otherwise reviewed within the next three years? If so, please provide the expected timing.

1) Community MSK, Pain and Related Services

1. The commissioning of Community MSK services is primarily done so via block community service contracts (main acute hospitals). In addition to this, some independent sector providers have been commissioned to deliver community MSK services:

• Cora Health Pain Management Services Ltd – independent provider (Tier 2, Physio, Diagnostic scanning)
• Hyde Physiotherapy Centre – independent provider (community physio)
• Pennine MSK Partnership Ltd – independent provider (Minor Surgery-Hand and Wrist, Tier 2 and rheumatology).

Expenditure within the NHS Foundation Trusts is included within block contracts with the Trust. The cost of specific services cannot reliably be estimated from within those block contracts. Therefore, expenditure with NHS Foundation Trusts is excluded from the values presented in response to questions b) and c).

12. £12.35m

As described above, expenditure with NHS Foundation Trusts is included within block contracts, and the costs of specific services cannot be reliably extracted from these. As such, these costs are not included in the table in section e).

1. Contracts with our other provider are currently still in negotiation and detail cannot be shared at this time.

1. There is currently a GM wide MSK transformation programme which is reviewing all community services which may result in a retendering approach. The transformation programme is expected to run for a number of years.

2) NHS Talking Therapies (formerly IAPT)

1. For NHS Greater Manchester Talking Therapy services are commissioned via a mixture of VCSE and NHS providers, standalone or broader mental health or community contracts.

Expenditure within the NHS Foundation Trusts is included within block contracts with the Trust. The cost of specific services cannot reliably be estimated from within those block contracts. Therefore, expenditure with NHS Foundation Trusts is excluded from the values presented in response to questions b) and c).

83. £83.40m

Question 2d/e/f) Please see below a list of the current providers of NHS talking Therapies during the period 1^st April 2025 – 31^st March 2026 with the following information; provider category, contract value, contract period and any available contract extension options.

In the table above, expenditure with NHS Foundation Trusts is identified as part of a block contract. In this case, the cost of the specific service cannot reliably be estimated within that block contract and is therefore excluded from the table.

1. When ended, contracts will be rolled forward in line with PSR regulations Direct Award C.