Health Policy

Arthritis UK report calls for improved arthritis diagnosis

As part of Arthritis Awareness Month, Arthritis UK has launched a report, ‘The Silent Treatment: Why an Arthritis Diagnosis Matters‘, to bring together insights from people with arthritis and health professionals to highlight the barriers faced in achieving a timely and personalised diagnosis for arthritis conditions.

Without a diagnosis, people are without vital treatment and support that can have a long-term impact on their condition. Crucially, for people with arthritis, a diagnosis provides validation and the relief of finally being seen.…

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Government consultation on mental health

Open call for evidence

Informing the mental health strategy for England

Consultation ends 10 July 2026

The Department of Health and Social Care is seeking evidence to inform a new Mental Health Strategy for England, with the consultation open until 10 July 2026.

The Government is looking for examples of effective approaches to prevention, early intervention and community-based support. For the musculoskeletal community, this is an opportunity to highlight the links between long-term conditions such as arthritis, chronic pain and mental health, and to make the case for more integrated physical and mental healthcare.…

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BCA hosts parliamentary roundtable

Strengthening chiropractic’s role in UK healthcare

On 3 June 2026, the British Chiropractic Association (BCA) hosted a parliamentary roundtable, bringing together Members of Parliament, Peers, BCA members, and representatives from healthcare charities to explore the evolving role of chiropractic within the UK’s healthcare system. The discussion centred around how chiropractic can contribute more effectively to the wider healthcare workforce, particularly within the framework of Allied Health Professions (AHPs).

Addressing Growing Pressure on MSK Services

A key focus of the roundtable was the increasing strain on musculoskeletal (MSK) services across the UK.…

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A new Health Secretary. A new opportunity for MSK health?

by Adrian Bradley, CEO, Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance (ARMA)

May 2026

Like many people working across health and care, I watched the latest ministerial changes with mixed feelings. A new Health Secretary always brings uncertainty. Priorities can shift, momentum can be lost, relationships need to be rebuilt, but moments like this also create opportunity.

For those of us working to improve musculoskeletal (MSK) health, a new Health Secretary is a chance to make a simple but important case: MSK health must become a national priority.…

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ARMA Welcomes the Neighbourhood health framework

NHS England Policy Paper

Neighbourhood health framework

Published 17 March 2026

We welcome the new Neighbourhood Health Framework because it moves neighbourhood health in the right direction.

It sees neighbourhood health as more than NHS reconfiguration.
It supports a prevention-first model.
It values continuity, co-ordination and multidisciplinary care.
It connects health to wider outcomes such as work, independence and participation.

That is close to ARMA’s vision of putting the NHS in the context of the places and communities it serves, not treating health as something created by services alone.…

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Denied by BMI: How ICB policies are failing patients with arthritis

Guest Blog by Deborah Alsina MBE, Chief Executive of Arthritis UK

Across England, people with arthritis are being left to wait in pain for joint replacement surgery that could transform their lives. Almost a fifth of ICBs are ignoring NICE guidelines and rationing surgeries based on a single arbitrary threshold, a patient’s BMI. Moreover, a further 54.7% have policies that restrict or alter access to surgery in some other way for those who are overweight or have obesity. Joint replacement surgery is not a lifestyle choice; it’s the bridge from living in constant pain to regaining independence.…

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Beyond the NHS: A vision for neighbourhood health

by Adrian Bradley, CEO, Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance (ARMA)

At ARMA, our vision for neighbourhood health goes far beyond the NHS. The NHS is, of course, a vital part of our lives and a cornerstone of care but health is not created in hospitals or clinics alone. It is shaped in the places we live, work and connect, in our homes, schools, workplaces, parks, and communities. Neighbourhood health is about recognising that wellbeing depends as much on the social, economic, and environmental conditions around us as it does on clinical services.…

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Better MSK health is the foundation of our future prosperity and wellbeing

by Adrian Bradley, CEO ARMA

The link between health and economic activity has become a central focus of policy. New analysis from the ONS and NHS England, highlighted by the King’s Fund, shows how health and work are closely connected. Poor health reduces employment and productivity, and long NHS waiting lists hold people back from returning to work. Improving musculoskeletal (MSK) health will undoubtedly deliver major economic benefits. Fewer people in pain means fewer absences, more people able to stay in work, and greater productivity.…

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Reflections on opportunities for better MSK health

by Adrian Bradley, CEO ARMA

Throughout my first three months in post, I have been constantly struck by the breadth, diversity, expertise and impact of ARMA’s member organisations. Last week I had the pleasure of being a guest of the British Orthopaedic Association at their Annual Congress in Liverpool. Under the theme of ‘Preventing Harm & Transforming Lives’, I attended inspiring sessions on topics as far ranging as integrating orthopaedic clinical practice with support for patients’ lifestyle modification, reducing unnecessary hospital stays in arthroplasty, calls for a national ACL injury prevention programme and, perhaps most soberingly, our preparedness for war.…

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Versus Arthritis Response to the Men’s Health Strategy

In April, the government announced plans for England’s first Men’s Health Strategy, aimed at addressing the life expectancy gap and health conditions that disproportionately affect men.

To help shape the strategy, the government launched a call for evidence – and Versus Arthritis used this opportunity to highlight the estimated 8.7 million men in England living with arthritis and MSK conditions whose needs must be recognised.

Versus Arthritis highlighted gout throughout their response, as gout is more common in men, with 66,000 people newly diagnosed with gout each year.…

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