Health Policy

Act Now Report Parliamentary Launch Event

Last week ARMA held a Parliamentary launch for the Act Now report on MSK inequalities.

We were delighted to be joined by so many members, contributors to the report and leaders in MSK. There was a palpable energy in the room and a sense of commitment across the breadth of MSK health to tackle inequalities together.

We were privileged to have MP Tom Randall, Chair of the Axial Spondyloarthritis All Party Group in Westminster, host the event. His recognition of the report’s timeliness underscored the importance of the report’s recommendations.…

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Act together. Act Now.

by Sue Brown, CEO ARMA

It is hard to overstate what a privilege it was to join so many of those who contributed to the Act Now report in Westminster last week. The report exemplifies the ARMA approach of doing things together which none of us could do alone. The energy in the room and the commitment to making a difference was amazing. I feel that MSK is demonstrating what NHS England’s Core20+5 approach looks like in practice.

Our recent FOI requests to ICBs have elicited some responses along the lines of MSK isn’t one of the Core20+5 conditions so we aren’t prioritising it.…

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Welsh Government Mental Health Inquiry

The Welsh Government has opened a public consultation on its draft Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

The consultation will close on 11 June 2024.

You can find full details of the consultation via this link to the www.gov.wales website.

Senedd Health Committee Obesity Inquiry

The Senedd Health Committee is holding an enquiry into the ‘prevention of ill health – obesity.’

The call for evidence runs until 7 June 2024.

You can find further details on the inquiry and submit evidence to the Committee by following this link.

Welsh Government Consultation: Arthritis and MSK Framework

The Welsh Government has opened a consultation on the draft guidance document, Living with arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions: a framework for the future.

The new framework is one of several tools that will guide service development and delivery for MSK conditions from 2024 to 2028.

The consultation is seeking views to shape the vision, mission and strategy for improving services for people with MSK conditions in Wales and is open for responses until 8th April 2024.

Visit the consultation website for more information or to submit a response.

Osteopathy exhibits at the House of Commons

In early March the Council of Osteopathic Educational Institutions (COEI) exhibited at the prestigious Upper Waiting Hall at the House of Commons. Gaining access to such an influential audience in an election year is a unique opportunity to focus on the future of MSK Health and osteopathy’s role in providing local community MSK care.

For more information visit the COEI website.

Of course we can

by Sue Brown, CEO ARMA

The majority of people with an MSK condition will rarely, if ever, need secondary care for that condition. All of them will need primary and community care. This is where people access MSK rehab, self-management support and a wide variety of treatment. Yet the main focus of the NHS remains hospitals. It’s what politicians talk about, what the media covers and where the majority of the attention of local systems focuses.

The King’s Fund has just published a report, Making Care Closer to Home a Reality, outlining why this problem occurs and some possible solutions.…

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Royal Osteoporosis Society’s Better Bones campaign

The Royal Osteoporosis Society is continuing its Better Bones campaign with the Sunday Express for universal, quality Fracture Liaison Services. In the lead up to the Budget, ROS would greatly appreciate it if you were able to raise the campaign and its aims in any meetings you have with Parliamentarians or officials and post on social media about the campaign.

The Society remains committed to achieving the Better Bones campaign’s goals. The Better Bones campaign is calling for:

A mandate from Government that everyone over 50 should be covered by a quality FLS;
£30m per year additional investment in FLS to fill the gaps in population coverage and quality;
A national Clinical Director to lead the change.

…

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National Voices’ Manifesto for Equitable Healthcare

In what is very likely to be an election year, National Voices have shared their Manifesto for Equitable Healthcare – which puts forth three general election priorities.

Co-produced with National Voices’ members, the manifesto is supported by a common theme – ensuring that the NHS works for all, not just those who know how to navigate the system or who come from more privileged backgrounds.

The manifesto seeks to remind politicians that adopting these priorities will not just improve things for patients but will also help drive NHS stability and wider economic benefits.…

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King’s Fund resources on health inequalities

As the conversation grows around health inequalities, we wanted to highlight three recent resources.

This King’s Fund podcast episode from 29^th November explores how the NHS waiting list for elective care can be better managed to improve health equity. A really interesting discussion of the ethics, impact on patients and healthcare professionals, policy decisions and controversies around how waiting lists are managed and prioritised.

Ruth Roberston invites Dr Mark Ratnarajah, UK Managing Director at C2-Ai, Sharon Brennan, Director of Policy and External Affairs at National Voices and Dr Polly Mitchell, Post Doctoral Research Fellow in Bioethics and Public Policy at King’s College London to share their expertise. …

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