Accessing Advanced Therapies (biologics, biosimilars, oral JAK inhibitors)
For some time, NRAS has been concerned that some Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) have been artificially restricting access to advanced therapies (biologics, biosimilars/JAK inhibitors) and undertook a Freedom of Information request to all CCGs about this. Following discussions with NHS England on behalf of RA patients about this practice, which was felt to be unethical, NRAS is delighted to share with you news of the attached recently published statement from the NHS Regional Medicines Optimisation Committee.…
Read more of this article
The final version of the 
The NHS Long Term Plan includes commitments to remove the need for up to a third of outpatient appointments over the next five years, saving patients 30 million trips to hospital and the NHS more than £1 billion a year in new expenditure, and to continue to provide patients with a wide choice of options for quick elective care. ARMA hosted a 
Registration is now open for the second joint conference organised by the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine (FSEM) and the National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine (NCSEM). This year’s theme is ‘From Science to Services’, and the various speakers and workshops will aim to explore how cutting-edge sport, exercise and physical activity research is driving improvements in healthcare.
Upcoming webinar: Paediatric rheumatology: lived experience and psychological needs
In October 2019 ARMA held a roundtable bringing together people working on chronic pain from a range of perspectives to discuss what might be done to improve the experience of people living with chronic pain. Around 10–14% of people (6 – 8 million) experience moderate to severely disabling pain. Currently services and support for these people are difficult to access. Whilst not all chronic pain is musculoskeletal, osteoarthritis and back pain are associated with over half of all chronic pain, so that the lack of support is a key issue for us. … 
The Institute of Osteopathy has recently published additional reports, including the impact of Multidisciplinary management of low back pain and sciatica in primary care. This impact report provides an overview of the Plymouth Community Back Pain Service which has delivered a sustainable primary care service with measurable outcomes run by a multidisciplinary team including GPs, osteopaths, cognitive behavioural therapists and physiotherapists.
As detailed in their latest e-news bulletin, this February HMSA will be involved in Marfan Awareness, Raynaud’s Awareness, and at the end of the month, 
This joint response was issued by National Voices, The Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance, Versus Arthritis, the MS Society, the Neurological Alliance and Healthwatch England.… 
In January 2020, NICE published an update on the