ARMA is the umbrella body providing a collective voice for the arthritis and musculoskeletal community in the UK.

Together, ARMA and its member organisations work to improve quality of life for more than 9.6 million people in the UK with these conditions.

Director - Dave Marsh

Welcome to my blog – the idea is to provide you with some insights into what is happening currently within the musculoskeletal community in the UK. It will hopefully be varied and wide-ranging, including news, research developments, updates on care standards and progress on our campaigns which effect the whole of the musculoskeletal community. We welcome your input and views –

      Standards of Care

Arthritis and related musculoskeletal conditions affect one in 5 people in the UK, causing pain and disability.

They can strike at any age, from infancy onwards. They cost society billions each year in health and social costs, lost employment, benefits; and they cost many individuals their independence and quality of life. There are many myths about these conditions – but the most damaging of all is that nothing can be done.

Something can always be done – be it providing details of a local support group, or designing a service which means that people see the right specialist at the right time.

As part of ARMA’s Standards of Care project, a group of people with a range of musculoskeletal conditions has come together to identify what needs to happen in health services to enable them to minimise the pain and disability of arthritis, and to help people remain independent. They have suggested reasonable expectations of care and services for all people with musculoskeletal conditions. People have a right to:

• Access to appropriate services for all people with musculoskeletal conditions
• Timely diagnosis and treatment
• Information
• Services which are centered on the needs of users
• Independence and self-determination

Read more about our  overarching principles for the standards of care for people with musculoskeletal conditions 

    Become a contributor 

Our site has shifted from a static content website to a blog type where we are better able to accommodate information updates, provide news feeds, on-line forums and generate targeted newsletters of interest to individuals.  If you wish to contribute to this development please join our Website Forum.

To provide a service to the arthritis and musculoskeletal community, we rely on contributions from our members and users. You can follow changes to the site by subscribing to ARMA ePostcards or our Daily/weekly newsletters.

We aim to help of our members, volunteers, local partners, policy makers and private sector partners by providing on-line forums. With your help we are able to pool our efforts and expand our knowledge and activities in the UK and internationally. We are aware that a global effort is needed, and we are part of a network of organisations coordinating efforts to arthritis and musculoskeletal community. Together we can make a difference.

To engage you need to become a registered user, so please register/login as a member. 

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The ARMA website contains information about standards, best practice, health policy, commissioning of services and news and activities of our membership.

A core aim for ARMA is to foster co-operation, understanding and mutual support between individuals and organisations. User you mouse to select one of the orginisations..  

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