The late Edgar Stene, who had severe ankylosing spondylitis, was a great promoter of co-operation between doctors, patients and community workers. The EULAR Edgar Stene Prize Competition runs yearly in his memory and honour. First prize is € 1,000 and the winner will be invited to attend the EULAR Congress in Frankfurt. Second prize is €700 and third prize is €300.
The 2020 prize will be awarded to the winning essay on the topic:
“Being a person with a rheumatic or musculoskeletal disease (RMD) – How my voluntary work benefits me”
The EULAR Edgar Stene Prize 2020 competition is open to people 18 years and over who are living with a rheumatic and musculoskeletal (RMD) disease.…
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by Jenny Brodie, Senior Communications & Brand Officer, NASS
Guest blog by Dr Alison Giles, Associate Director for Healthy Ageing, Centre for Ageing Better and Public Health England; and Elaine Rashbrook, Consultant Specialist, Life Course, Public Health England.
An educational programme of lectures and workshops for GPs, trainees and other members of the practice team to help develop core skills in musculoskeletal care.
October saw the launch of a new National Academy for Social Prescribing (NASP), to champion social prescribing and the work of local communities in connecting people for wellbeing. Its objectives include exploring new ways of sourcing statutory and non-statutory funding and brokering relationships between different sectors. Given the prevalence of MSK conditions, it is important that social prescribing has something to offer for MSK.
Bone and Joint Week in October helps get people thinking about one of the most widespread and pressing health issues of our times – musculoskeletal health and the role each person in improving it. This year ARMA’s member organisations, Public Health England, NHE England, NHS Confederation and many other organisations collaborated during the campaign using 
Bone and Joint Week is over for another year, and what a fantastic week it was, thanks to the support of our members and key stakeholders. It’s a one week blitz of MSK messaging on social media, raising awareness and prompting action. This year we had an even bigger reach than ever. But it doesn’t end there.
In October 2019 a report on chronic pain services and management from a patient and healthcare professional perspective was published. The research has highlighted a number of key insights and themes for how respondents felt that chronic pain services can be improved and made more equitable in the future. Pain is one of the common factors across all MSK conditions, so this is something which ARMA will be following up in the future.
ARMA joins Public Health England and the Centre for Ageing Better to make England the best place to grow old, because musculoskeletal health is vital to healthy ageing.