West Suffolk Hospital’s drive to take more services out into the community has continued with new specialist physiotherapy clinics in two towns.

Haverhill and Thetford will now benefit from the children’s musculoskeletal (MSK) physiotherapy and adult respiratory physiotherapy clinics, reducing the need for people with a wide range of conditions to travel for treatment.

The first clinics were held at Clements Surgery in Greenfields Way, Haverhill, on June 18, and will launch at the Healthy Living Centre in Thetford on Monday. They come after similar services began in Sudbury and Newmarket late last year.

Specialist paediatric physiotherapist Kathy Hammond said: “These new clinics will bring services closer to home and make them easier for people to access.

“After assessing each patient, we will be able to design a treatment programme tailored to their needs, which can include personalised exercise programmes, reassurance, education and advice. We hope that by working with children as early as possible, we can make the biggest difference to their condition and quality of life.”

The paediatric clinics will provide care for children aged under 16 with a wide range of MSK conditions.

Young people with more complex conditions, such as functional pain disorders and complex regional pain syndrome, can also be treated at the clinics.

The respiratory clinics aim to give patients the skills to effectively self-manage chronic conditions such as bronchiectasis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), recurrent chest infections and dysfunctional breathing patterns.

Helen Stewart, respiratory physiotherapist, said: “We are committed to making it as easy as possible for people to access the specialist care we provide, and are really pleased that these clinics will reduce the distance patients need to travel while bringing services closer to home.”

Patients can access the new clinics, as well as the existing clinics in Sudbury, Newmarket and the main hospital in Bury St Edmunds, by talking to their GP or specialist nurse.