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ARMA Newsletter September 2025
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Reflections on opportunities for better MSK health
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by Adrian Bradley, CEO, Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance (ARMA)
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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. It was a wonderful opportunity to learn and to network and a timely reminder of the continued importance of secondary care and orthopaedics.
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At the same time, the first wave of neighbourhood health service investment in England was announced; 43 places will receive a share of £10m to bring services closer to the people who need them most. Strong effective links between future neighbourhood MSK services and secondary care will be essential to deliver smooth care pathways, enable timely access to specialist expertise, and provide coordinated support that enhances clinical outcomes.
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MSK Innovation Accelerator open for applications
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Applications are open for researchers and entrepreneurs working on innovations relevant to musculoskeletal health, to participate in the next MSK Innovation Accelerator programme.
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The programme, which is the only one of its type dedicated to MSK health technologies, is hosted by MedTech SuperConnector and funded by Orthopaedic Research UK. It is designed to accelerate the development of musculoskeletal innovation and thereby create and scale early-stage MSK ventures across the UK.
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Right to Rehab and Rehabilitation Awareness
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BASRaT has asked its registrants to engage with Rehabilitation Awareness Week (15th - 21st September 2025) with the aim of showcasing how they have enriched peoples’ lives. Rehabilitation can be life changing and everyone should have a right to rehab, regardless of their postcode.
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It was truly awe inspiring to hear the real-life stories that formed BASRat’s patient stories leaflet.
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Arthritis Action Trustee vacancies
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Arthritis Action is seeking to appoint up to three new Trustees to join their Board. They would welcome new Trustees with the following areas of expertise:
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- Charity Fundraising & Income Generation
- Law
- Accountancy
- IT & cybersecurity in the charity sector or small business
- Professional experience in the NHS
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The new NRAS RA Symptom Checker
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NRAS is proud to announce they have launched a new online tool aimed at helping individuals identify early signs of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a chronic autoimmune condition that affects around 400,000 people in the UK. If left untreated, it can cause long-term joint damage and affect other organs such as the lungs, heart, and eyes.
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Early diagnosis is crucial to managing the disease and preventing irreversible harm.
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Scottish Survey of autoimmune conditions
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NRAS is leading on an important collaborative survey of people with autoimmune inflammatory conditions across Scotland about their experience of care in the NHS. We want to hear from any patients with a diagnosis of any of the following conditions:
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- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Axial Spondyloarthritis
- Psoriatic Arthritis or Psoriasis
- Lupus
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
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Living with RA in Wales? In-person event
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A chance to meet the team who support you!
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NRAS is pleased to invite people in Mid-Wales to an in-person event in Aberystwyth on the 22nd of October 2025.
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Members of the NRAS team, including Director of Innovation and Services Donagh Stenson, will be joined by Professor Karim Raza, Consultant Rheumatologist, Bronglais Hospital, Hywel Dda University Health Board, and Sarah O’Donovan, a rheumatology nurse specialist who works with Professor Raza.
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The BOA's AI Conference 2025
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Following the success of the conference over the last three years, the BOA is delighted to announce that the 2025 AI in Orthopaedics and MSK event will take place on Monday 1st and Tuesday 2nd December 2025 at 10 Union Street, London.
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A brand-new Chiro Live 2025
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Join Joe Wicks and holistic health experts at Chiro Live 2025
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This November, the Chiro Live 2025 conference is opening its doors to the public for the very first time for a brand-new experience tailored for those curious about living better, moving more, and taking a whole-person approach to health.
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VA's Response to the Men’s Health Strategy
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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.
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Versus Arthritis webinars: MSK Bitesize
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MSK Bitesize is a 3-hour webinar on MSK conditions that can present in primary care and the role of physical activity in preventing and managing MSK conditions. Topics include inflammatory arthritis, fibromyalgia, gout and more.
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Upcoming dates:
Versus Arthritis webinar: MSK Bitesize, Thursday 23rd October 2025 6-9pm, £60.
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Versus Arthritis webinar: MSK Bitesize, Wednesday 10th December 2025 6-9pm, £60.
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Core Skills in MSK Care course - Sheffield
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Core Skills is a practical programme designed to equip primary healthcare professionals with the confidence and expertise to accurately diagnose and manage MSK conditions. This training from Versus Arthritis provides delegates a supportive environment to develop confidence and skills in the diagnosis, treatment and management of patients with MSK conditions. Previous delegates reported a 47% increase in knowledge of the subject area following the training…
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EULAR Edgar Stene Prize Competition 2026
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EULAR PARE has announced the launch of the EULAR Edgar Stene Prize essay competition 2026 on the topic:
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“Is it all in the genes, or not? How rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) shape and reshape family connections”.
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The competition is open to people aged 18 and over living with rheumatic and MSK diseases (RMD) who wish to write about their personal experiences on the competition topic.
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ARMA Calendar
| 26-28 Sept 2025 |
CCAA Family Support weekend, Hollowford, Peak District |
| 30 Sept 2025 |
Fibromyalgia Sandpit, Central London |
| 3 Oct 2025 |
ORUK Modern hip resurfacing event, London |
| 6 Oct 2025 |
Applications close FSEM Diploma in Exercise Medicine 2026 |
| 9 Oct 2025 |
FSEM SEM Specialty Exam Part 1 applications close |
| 10 Oct 2025 |
ORUK Collision sports injury conference, London |
| 11 Oct 2025 |
SOMM Spinal Manual Therapy course, Liverpool |
| 23 Oct 2025, 6-9pm |
Versus Arthritis MSK Bitesize online |
| 4 Nov 2025 |
Core Skills in Musculoskeletal Care in-person workshop, Sheffield |
| 4 Nov 2025 |
FSEM SEM Specialty Exam Part 1 exam sitting |
| 21-22nd Nov 2025 |
iO Convention 2025, St Paul’s, London |
| 1-2 Dec 2025 |
AI in Orthopaedics and MSK Conference, London |
| 10 Dec 2025, 6-9pm |
Versus Arthritis MSK Bitesize online |
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We know that many people value our newsletter, webinars and the fact that we provide a voice for MSK health. We are increasingly asked: given that our membership is made up of organisations, how can an individual support ARMA? For this reason, we have set up a new supporter scheme.
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