MSK & Arthritis News

Could you be a 2020 MSK Champion?

Dates for the next Versus Arthritis MSK Champion programme are now live on their website!

Following the successful launch of Versus Arthritis’s Musculoskeletal Champions programme in 2018, they’re recruiting the third cohort of inspirational leaders committed to championing change in musculoskeletal (MSK) health care.

If your application to this programme is successful, you will be coached to develop your personal leadership skills, and drive forward a service improvement project with an MSK focus.

Applications open from 30 March 2020.
Find out more here.

Moving Medicine – Active Conversations

Many of us know that our patients’ lives could be so much better if they move just a little more. Active Conversations has been developed by Moving Medicine in partnership with the Academy for Health Coaching and is a practical, evidence-based online learning course worth 16 CPD points, that teaches clinicians how to have quick, effective and positive conversations that encourage patients to do more physical activity.

The course is comprised of 6 modules over 12 weeks, and the next course is starting on 6 January 2020.…

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BASRAT Sport Rehabilitation brought to life

BASRaT registrar Ollie Coburn has produced a short video illustrating his profession.

Sport Rehabilitators aid people with musculoskeletal pain, injury or illness. They help people to maintain their health and fitness, recover from and prevent injury and reduce pain using exercise, movement and therapy.

The video “Sport Rehabilitation brought to life in 38 seconds!” can be viewed here.

Hospitals join Aspiring to Excellence programme

NASS announces the first six hospitals to join its Aspiring to Excellence programme

On 16th November, NASS celebrated the six winners of the first ever Aspiring to Excellence awards during a ceremony at the NASS Voices London event. The day was attended by over 100 people, all with an interest in axial spondyloarthritis (axial SpA) and marks the start of the multi-year programme. 

Aspiring to Excellence is designed to encourage and recognise service improvement in axial SpA care and is the largest of its kind in the UK.…

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New course: Consultation and Clinical Examination Effectiveness in MSK Medicine

The Society of Musculoskeletal Medicine has launched a new course in collaboration with Effective Professional Interactions (EPI), aimed at first contact practitioners – GPs, Allied Health Professionals and Nurse Practitioners.

The two-day course aims to increase consultation and clinical examination effectiveness in MSK Medicine and includes how to exclude red flags.

Read the Consultation and Clinical Examination Effectiveness in MSK Medicine programme for course details, fees and booking.

NICE guideline on safe prescribing and withdrawal management

NICE guideline: Safe prescribing and withdrawal management of prescribed drugs associated with dependence and withdrawal

The final scope and equality impact assessment for this NICE guideline have now been published, along with all the stakeholder comments that were received during consultation and our responses to these comments.

NICE identified ARMA as a stakeholder for this topic and ARMA is able to comment on the draft guideline when it is available. Please contact us should you have an interest in this topic and are a member.…

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NICE guideline on workplace health

Workplace health: long-term sickness absence and capability to work

NICE published this final guideline on the NICE website. You can also find the supporting evidence, tools and resources as well as all the stakeholder comments NICE received during consultation and the responses to these comments.

The recommendations from this guideline have been included in the NICE Pathway on Managing long-term sickness absence and capability to work, which brings together everything NICE said on Workplace health: long-term sickness absence and capability to work in an interactive flowchart.…

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Physical Activity publications

Readers of this newsletter will all be aware that physical activity is essential for musculoskeletal health. Every month we seem to report new publications on the subject. This month is no exception: two recent publications highlight the challenges and propose some solutions.

Researchers have studied adolescents’ activity levels in 146 countries and found that more than 80% are not meeting the recommended levels of activity. In the UK in 2016, more than 85% of girls were not active enough, and neither were almost 75% of boys.…

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Medical Devices Regulation and waiting times

Medical Devices Regulation from 2020

On 26 May 2017 the Medical Devices Regulation (MDR 2017/745) was published, with the aim of replacing the current Medical Devices Directive (MDD 93/43/EC). Following a transition period of three years, this regulation will be applied in full from 26 May 2020.

The BOA has recently published its position statement on the MDR. They welcome the drive to improve the rigour and regulation of novel devices and procedures for the benefit of patients. However, the BOA raises some particular concerns with regard to legacy devices, regulation of different types of device, value of registry data in evaluating devices and long term monitoring.…

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Versus Arthritis: responses to consultations

Versus Arthritis have made available their responses to recent consultations and governmental health proposals.

In particular, you can read November’s response to the HM Government consultation ‘Advancing our health: prevention in the 2020s’, and the joint submission document, sent alongside other charities and health organisations, to highlight the urgent need for increased, sustainable public health funding.

Visit the Versus Arthritis Consultation Responses page.