{"id":1680,"date":"2021-05-27T19:11:24","date_gmt":"2021-05-27T19:11:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cms.mutusystem.com\/en-uk\/?p=1680"},"modified":"2023-08-28T16:53:02","modified_gmt":"2023-08-28T16:53:02","slug":"mutu-in-the-nhs-an-update","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mutusystem.com\/en-uk\/mutu-news\/mutu-in-the-nhs-an-update\/","title":{"rendered":"MUTU with NHS organisations \u2013 An Update!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Hi, Wendy here, MUTU CEO. It’s been a crazy few months at MUTU and I figured it was time for an update!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In March, MUTU was chosen by the NHS for one of the key 2021 [NIA] National Innovation Accelerator Fellowship awards.<\/a> The committee led by Prof Stephen Powis, NHS Medical Director, chose us with a view to scaling MUTU as an intervention and improving physical and mental health equity for Mums across the UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MUTU NHS Trial 2020<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Last year MUTU ran a trial<\/a> with 100 Women\u2019s Health Physiotherapy patients at the Norwich & Norfolk NHS Trust. The results data showed very significant improvements for patients for all pelvic health symptoms studied, as well as for mental health factors including reduced PND and improved quality of life and confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We worked with Lucy Eggleton, Lead Specialist for the Pelvic and Maternal Team, to enable patients unable to attend outpatient physio appointments during lockdown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Patients were chosen to participate by the team on the basis of moderate to severe diastasis recti diagnosis. Data on pelvic floor exercise, incontinence, prolapse symptoms, painful sex and self-confidence were also gathered. The survey data was gathered at 3, 6, 9 and 12 weeks, is anonymised, and was based on clinical surveys covering Sexual well being, Urinary symptoms and Quality of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lead Specialist for the Pelvic and Maternal Team, Lucy Eggleton: \u201cIt has been great to see that so many women have found relief from these symptoms through participating in the MUTU programme alongside physiotherapy and moving forwards this will be a programme we are happy to support and refer our patients onto\u2026 In a time of such difficulty when so many new mothers have felt isolated and unsupported, it was brilliant to be able to team up with Wendy and the MUTU System to be able to run a clinical trial\u2026 We have been so impressed with the feedback and results, seeing women restored back to full health and function.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We all want to get these trial results published and are currently talking to a number of Consultants and Dept Heads nationally to progress this.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Postnatal Pelvic Health Care Pathway Explained<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Pelvic floor symptoms are often not raised with GP\u2019s. Women feel embarrassed or ashamed or believe these conditions are \u2018normal\u2019 consequences of motherhood, believing that debilitating conditions like incontinence, prolapse or painful sex are ‘the way it is when you have babies’.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where women do present, GP\u2019s may refer to specialist Physiotherapy, to Urology or Gynaecology Consultant \/ Pessary Clinic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The waiting list time for a Consultant from a GP referral, and then for Pessary Clinic is often a year or more (As reported by Hospital WHP). Many specialist Physiotherapy appointments now have a similar backlog and wait time, and may be carried out remotely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since COVID of course all these wait-times have increased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The very recently (April 2021) updated NICE guidelines for postnatal care<\/a> state that: \u201c\u2026the importance of pelvic floor exercises and how to do them\u2026\u201d should be discussed. And that \u201cat the 6-8 week check GP should carry out an assessment including these recommendations\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

GP\u2019s may not have the time or information to comprehensively fulfil this NICE pathway directive at the 6-week check. Postnatal GP checks are currently being mostly carried out remotely, making this even harder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GP’s tell us they would love to be able to signpost safe and accessible, evidence-based, at-home solutions and support. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key to the NICE directive is the \u2018how to do pelvic floor exercises’ <\/em>part. Many women do not know how to perform PF exercises correctly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Female GPs have told us, they do not know themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the NNUH trial, of those women who said they did not know how to identify or exercise their pelvic floor muscles, by Week 3 of MUTU, 100% of them did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

High-risk (of pelvic floor problems) mothers are likely to be those who had births involving forceps, ventouse, prolonged or traumatic vaginal delivery.  Immediately post birth is often too early to have meaningful discussions with new mothers about pelvic floor exercises. The focus is of course on acute post-birth issues and safety, and the woman will not yet be fully aware of some postnatal pelvic floor symptoms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Problem<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This reality of women’s experience, along with our own extensive data, shows that women are not getting all the information and solutions they need, when they need them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n