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ARMA Newsletter October 2025
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Better MSK health is the foundation of our future prosperity and wellbeing
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by Adrian Bradley, CEO, Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance (ARMA)
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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.
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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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But the value of good MSK health goes far beyond economics. Work matters, yet life is more than work. Health is the foundation of quality of life – enabling us to move, connect, participate and find joy in the everyday. When we reduce MSK pain and disability, we improve not only employability but also wellbeing, life satisfaction and happiness. These are outcomes every bit as important as GDP.
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Celebrating the Success of Bone and Joint Week 2025
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This year’s Bone and Joint Week, held from 12 - 20 October, was a demonstration of ARMA members uniting with the shared goal of raising awareness of the urgent need to prioritise MSK health. With the theme highlighting that 1 in 3 people in the UK live with an MSK condition, the week focused on advocating for the MSK policy priorities agreed by ARMA members in response to the Government’s 10 Year Health Plan.
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Through coordinated social media efforts, ARMA members amplified each other’s voices, using shared messages and graphics in their call for action. Together, we reminded decision-makers and the public that MSK conditions are not only widespread but have a profound impact on people’s lives, the economy, and the healthcare system.
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The week began on World Arthritis Day, with a strong call for MSK to be fully embedded in national health strategy, focusing on prevention, early intervention, and investment in services that support people living with arthritis.
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As the week progressed, World Spine Day highlighted the importance of spinal health, encouraging a prevention first approach and calling for better access to timely, multidisciplinary care.
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Later in the week, World Paediatric Bone and Joint Day drew attention to the often-overlooked MSK needs of children and young people, emphasising the importance of inclusive service design to support lifelong MSK health.
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The campaign concluded on World Osteoporosis Day, celebrating the inclusion of Fracture Liaison Services in the 10 Year Plan, while calling for urgent action to implement these services across the UK and close the current gaps in care.
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A huge thanks to all ARMA members for your collaboration and to all who shared messages and graphics to help the campaign reach wider audiences.
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A huge thanks to all ARMA members for your collaboration and to all who shared messages, and graphics to help the campaign reach wider audiences.
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NASS announces collaboration with NHS England
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NASS, in collaboration with NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme, is pleased to announce the launch of its Axial Spondyloarthritis Playbook: reducing the time to diagnosis and improving patient experience.
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Drawing together the data and learning from the NASS Act on Axial SpA campaign, the playbook aims to accelerate efforts to reduce the time to diagnosis for this condition and provide the best information and supported self-management to those newly diagnosed…
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Hands-on or hands-off? Rethinking manual therapy
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In the August edition of the Physio Network’s Podcast, SOMM’s Teaching Fellows, Darren Collin and Johnny Smith, discussed the role of manual therapy in physiotherapy along with the key differences between NHS and private practice. This insightful conversation is now available to hear, and sets the stage for SOMM’s upcoming Spinal Manual Therapy Masterclass, taking place on 11th October in Liverpool – a new offering designed to sharpen hands-on skills and deepen clinical reasoning in spinal care.
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Psoriasis Awareness Week - 'Comorbidities of Psoriasis'
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Psoriasis Awareness Week 2025 is fast approaching with this year’s event running from Wednesday 29th October to Tuesday 4th November 2025 with the theme ‘Comorbidities of Psoriasis’.
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Comorbidities are the presence of one or more additional diseases or disorders that occur in someone, alongside already living with psoriasis. This includes conditions such as psoriatic arthritis, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and the mental health impact that living with psoriasis may have…
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Orthopaedics and 10-Year Health Plan
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NOA's recent webinar brought together policy and clinical leaders to explore how orthopaedic services can respond to the NHS's 10-Year Health Plan.
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Speakers from the King's Fund, BOA and ROH shared insights on shifting care to communities, embracing digital tools, and prioritising prevention. The session highlighted practical innovations already underway and called on orthopaedics to lead local transformation.
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Diploma in MSK Medicine - Register your interest
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Exam sitting - 28th May 2026
Applications open - 12th January 2026
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The Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine UK is dedicated to promoting a more active nation and ensuring that MSK and rheumatological conditions and pain symptoms are not a barrier to living an active life at any age or ability level. This Diploma examination will support evidencing competency as a GP, GP Working in Extended Roles as well as allied health professionals working towards advanced practice roles (including extended scope physiotherapists and advanced nurse practitioners) in a range of community settings.
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Diploma in Exercise Medicine - Applications open
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Are you passionate about using exercise as medicine? The Diploma in Exercise Medicine is designed for healthcare professionals who want to lead the way in exercise-based prevention and treatment.
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Exam Sitting: 12th February 2026.
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NRAS Live – Diet and Nutrition video
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In early October NRAS were joined by Julie Cooper, Nutritional Therapist, for an NRAS Live event. Julie shared her own rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis story, told how changes in her diet helped optimise her own health, and explained how looking after your gut health can really improve your quality of life.
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Access the Is It RA? Symptom Checker
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Although RA Awareness Week 2025 has come to a close, NRAS’s mission to raise awareness about Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) continues every day.
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NRAS was delighted to see over 2000 people using the Is it RA? Symptom Checker – a tool that should empower thousands more people to take the next step in seeking support from their healthcare professionals.
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But the work doesn’t stop there. The symptom checker is now available permanently to help as many people as possible get the answers they need.
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Upcoming GIRFT webinars
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The GIRFT team have announced a series of upcoming webinars for November which will be of interest to all working across MSK care.
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Digital solutions to support delivery of MSK care in community settings
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Thursday 13th November 2025
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Andrew Bennett, GIRFT clinical lead for community MSK (cMSK) and consultant physiotherapist Sutton Health and Care, Epsom and St Helier NHS Trust, is hosting a webinar to discuss digital solutions to support delivery of MSK care in community settings.
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This webinar aims to give attendees a better understanding of digital innovations in community MSK settings and to highlight the benefits and risks associated with ambient AI. Among the presentations, we will hear how Health Innovation networks are working to improve access to new products and services which enhance patient care.
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The webinar will also cover how digital tools are being used to manage patient tracking lists (PTLs) and support triage decisions through smart algorithms.
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Introducing the GIRFT chronic pain workstream
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Wednesday 19th November 2025
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In this webinar the GIRFT clinical leadership team will introduce the scope of the new chronic pain workstream and its objectives and update you of the process for the planned system level peer reviews, looking at the provision and delivery of pain management services across community, primary, secondary and tertiary care.
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GIRFT’s national review of paediatric rheumatology services: learning and next steps
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Tuesday 25th November 2025
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Hosted by Lesley Kay, GIRFT rheumatology joint clinical lead and NHS England’s National Clinical Director for MSK, this webinar will discuss learnings and next steps from the GIRFT national review of paediatric rheumatology services.
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Topics for discussion will include access to care (from hospital to community), the outcomes of care (from sickness to prevention) and their findings on data capture and reporting.
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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
| 22 Oct 2025 |
Living with RA in Wales meeting, Aberystwyth |
| 23 Oct 2025, 6-9pm |
Arthritis UK MSK Bitesize online |
| 29 Oct - 4 Nov 2025 |
Psoriasis Awareness Week 2025 |
| 29 Oct 2025 |
World Psoriasis Day |
| 31 Oct 2025, 11am |
Psoriasis Association Virtual Coffee Morning on Zoom |
| 3 Nov 2025, 6.30pm |
Psoriatic Arthritis Instagram Live Q&A session |
| 4 Nov 2025 |
Core Skills in Musculoskeletal Care in-person workshop, Sheffield |
| 4 Nov 2025 |
FSEM SEM Specialty Exam Part 1 exam sitting |
| 6 Nov 2025, 6pm |
Free webinar: Weight Matters in Psoriasis |
| 8 Nov 2025 |
SOMM Spinal Manual Therapy Masterclass |
| 13 Nov 2025 |
GIRFT webinar: Digital solutions to support MSK community care |
| 15 Nov 2025, 9am |
Chiro Live 2025, Windsor |
| 19 Nov 2025 |
GIRFT webinar: Introducing the GIRFT chronic pain workstream |
| 21-22 Nov 2025 |
iO Convention 2025, St Paul’s, London |
| 25 Nov 2025 |
GIRFT webinar: National review of paediatric rheumatology |
| 26-27 Nov 2025 |
MSK HQ at Therapy Expo, Birmingham |
| 1-2 Dec 2025 |
AI in Orthopaedics and MSK Conference, London |
| 10 Dec 2025, 6-9pm |
Arthritis UK MSK Bitesize online |
| 14 Dec 2025, 5pm |
EULAR Edgar Stene Prize closes in UK |
| 12 January 2026 |
FSEM Diploma in MSK Medicine applications open |
| 28 May 2026 |
FSEM Diploma in MSK Medicine exam |
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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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