NHS partnership transforms care for children with cerebral palsy across Coventry

A pioneering partnership between Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust (CWPT) and University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust is transforming the lives of children with cerebral palsy through earlier intervention, joined-up care and multidisciplinary working.

Over the past 10 years, specialists in Community Paediatrics, Orthopaedics and Children's Physiotherapy have worked together through the Coventry Cerebral Palsy Integrated Pathway (CPIP) to identify problems early, coordinate treatment and prevent avoidable complications.

The results speak for themselves. Today, 172 children are supported through the pathway, with around 95 per cent of Coventry's children and young people with cerebral palsy included on the programme.

Since it began in 2016, new hip dislocation cases have reduced by 66 per cent, while the prevalence of hip dislocation has fallen to around one per cent – helping children avoid pain, complex surgery and lifelong disability.

The pathway brings together specialists from both organisations in a single clinic, allowing families to see the right professionals together, receive coordinated advice and agree personalised treatment plans in one appointment. By identifying problems early, the team can often prevent the need for more invasive treatment later.

Mary Mumvuri MBE, Chief Executive of Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust, said: "This is a fantastic example of what can be achieved when organisations work together around the needs of children and families.

"By bringing together specialist expertise from community and hospital services, we are improving outcomes for children, supporting families and helping to prevent avoidable complications. It demonstrates the real difference integrated care can make."

Professor Andy Hardy, Chief Executive Officer of UHCW NHS Trust, said: " By sharing expertise and making joint decisions, our teams are providing more coordinated care and helping children receive the right treatment at the right time.

"We are proud of what has been achieved over the last decade and look forward to continuing to develop the service together."

One family has already experienced the benefits of this joined-up approach.

A 17-year-old young man who recently moved to Coventry attended a joint CPIP clinic, where specialists from Community Paediatrics, Orthopaedics and Physiotherapy assessed his condition together. During a single appointment, the team reviewed his X-rays, adjusted medication to improve pain and muscle tone, discussed treatment options and agreed a personalised plan with him and his family.

His parent praised the team's empathy and valued meeting all the specialists together, reducing the need for multiple appointments and providing reassurance through a coordinated approach.

Alongside improving outcomes for children, the programme is also delivering benefits for the wider NHS. Based on NHS England estimates, the reduction in hip dislocation rates has potentially avoided at least eight major surgical procedures within the current Coventry cohort, representing a minimum direct surgical cost avoidance of approximately £56,000, with wider savings likely to be considerably higher.

The Coventry Cerebral Palsy Integrated Pathway continues to evolve, with both organisations committed to expanding the service and building on its success to improve care for even more children and families across the region