North Cotswolds MP meets local chiropractors to discuss growing demand for muscle, bone and joint care.
Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP has visited Spinavita Chiropractic, in Gloucester last month (August) to hear first-hand about the pressures facing people with muscle, bone and joint conditions and the care chiropractors are providing in the local community.
During the visit, Sir Geoffrey toured the clinic, owned by Anna Hawrot, Lead Chiropractor, Clinic Director and British Chiropractic Association (BCA) member. The group discussed the breadth of services the clinic provides to support members of the community with musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions – problems affecting the muscles, bones and joints.
The visit also provided an opportunity to discuss the pressures facing MSK services and the barriers currently preventing chiropractors from playing a greater role alongside other healthcare professionals.
The pressures on MSK services are particularly acute in Gloucestershire. Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that 8,029 people are currently waiting for MSK services across Gloucestershire ICB. Of these, 3,660 – around 45.6% of the local MSK waiting list – have been waiting for more than 12 weeks, compared with around 30.6% nationally. More than 2,300 people in Gloucestershire have been waiting for over 18 weeks, equivalent to 29.0% of the local waiting list and substantially higher than the national figure of around 16.1%.
Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP said:
“It was extremely interesting to visit Spinavita Chiropractic and learn more about the breadth of care chiropractors provide and the contribution they are already making to the health of people in the community.”
“With significant pressure on musculoskeletal services, we should be looking carefully at how we make the best use of the skills available across our healthcare workforce. I was particularly interested to hear about the case for Allied Health Professional status for chiropractors and the potential benefits greater integration could bring for patients and the wider healthcare system.”
The latest ONS figures into NHS waiting times, show nearly 450,000 patient are waiting for community MSK services in England – which is up 17.7% from June 2025.
Anna Hawrot, BCA member, Lead Chiropractor and Clinic Director at Spinavita Chiropractic, said:
“We were delighted to welcome Sir Geoffrey to Spinavita and give him a first-hand insight into the work we do and the wide range of patients we support within our community.
“Chiropractors have considerable expertise in MSK health, yet barriers still prevent this expertise from being fully utilised within the wider healthcare system. Recognition as Allied Health Professionals could help facilitate closer collaboration with other healthcare professionals and, most importantly, enable chiropractors to play a greater role in supporting patients and improving access to MSK care.”
Research commissioned by the BCA estimates that greater integration of community-based chiropractic care could free up more than 100,000 NHS MSK appointments every year. Faster access to treatment and helping people return to work sooner could also deliver around £400 million annually in productivity benefits, with cumulative economic savings potentially exceeding £1.5 billion over the course of a Parliament.
The BCA believes AHP recognition could help remove some of the barriers preventing chiropractors from contributing more fully to NHS and community-based MSK care.
The visit forms part of the BCA’s wider engagement with parliamentarians and healthcare stakeholders on the role chiropractic could play in increasing MSK capacity and delivering more care within local communities.
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