What a difference a month makes. When I last wrote an introduction to the ARMA newsletter we were in the run up to an election. I’m not sure anyone expected the result to go quite the way it did. Instead of increasing their majority the Government now has no majority at all and will have to rely on the support of other parties to get their plans through. What will this mean for people with MSK conditions?
In some ways it will be yet another distraction. The harder it is for the government to negotiate Brexit, the less time they will have for other policy areas, such as health and social care or work and health. On the other hand, a small majority will strengthen the hand of back bench MPs and make it harder for government to refuse to listen.
One thing we can be sure of – the change and uncertainty will continue. But with uncertainty comes opportunity. As you can see from this newsletter, ARMA members are working on a range of initiatives to capitalise on opportunities and drive change. Together we provide a whole range of support, training and information to support people working for improvements in local services. Our next ARMA/NHS England regional pathways event is in Exeter on 14 July and look out for one in the South East in the autumn.
Probably the most exciting thing I have worked on this month has been the start of our ARMA on-line knowledge hub project. We will be looking for people to help test this as it progresses over the next 6 months. Once launched it will be a one-stop shop for information and evidence on MSK, and an online community where you can go for advice about any aspect of MSK work. Some of you will already be members of the MSK yammer group. If not, please do join if you want to engage with others working on the same challenges. Once the hub is up and running this will transfer across so that the discussion and the knowledge are all in one place.
These are turbulent times, but when things get tough, working together and supporting each other is even more important. Together we can deliver real benefits for people with MSK conditions.