MSK & Arthritis News

Axial SpA Referral Template launch

NASS was delighted to launch the NASS Allies referral template, in conjunction with the Institute of Osteopathy and Royal College of Chiropractors, at the Primary Care and Public Health Conference on 15 and 16 May. The template was developed to help chiropractors and osteopaths in recommending referral for patients with suspected inflammatory back pain to rheumatology.

The template has been endorsed by the Royal College of GPs and Chartered Society for Physiotherapy. NASS is grateful to both the Institute of Osteopathy and Royal College of Chiropractors for their continued collaboration and wonderfully patient-centred approach.…

Read more of this article

EULAR survey patient-reported outcomes in young patients

Exploring the perspectives of young patients with chronic, inflammatory arthritis on patient-reported outcome measures

Having completed Phase 1 of the YoungPro project (focus groups in four different European countries with young people with inflammatory arthritis and the first Task Force meeting), EULAR has developed a survey to be spread across Europe to gather additional information around this topic.

The European League Against Rheumatism Task Force aims to incorporate the perspective of young people with inflammatory arthritis in patient reported outcomes (PROs).…

Read more of this article

A spending review for wellbeing? An idea whose time has come

Guest blog by Dr Jeanelle de Gruchy, President of the Association of Directors of Public Health

To its great credit, New Zealand has become the first country in the world to produce a “wellbeing budget” – a commitment to prioritise population wellbeing as the main mission of the government. A similar philosophy was adopted in Wales in 2015, with the Well-being of Future Generations Act requiring public bodies to think about the long-term impact of their policies on both people and places.…

Read more of this article

Adapted Homes, Empowered Lives report

On 8 May, Versus Arthritis published a new policy report looking at the impact of home aids and adaptations for people with arthritis, and the barriers that people face when trying to access them. Read the full report here, which includes powerful stories from people with arthritis who benefit from aids and adaptations.

We found that aids and adaptations – from perching stools and grabbing tools, to grab rails and stair lifts – can help people with arthritis, and related conditions such as back pain, achieve a better quality of life and maintain their independence in the home.…

Read more of this article

iO’s Osteopathy For Health

Harnessing the power of social media to promote public health

The Institute of Osteopathy (iO) has launched a new community Facebook page ‘Osteopathy for Health’ with the aim to provide the public with useful health advice and tips to support positive lifestyle behaviours.

The iO first launched ‘Osteopathy for Health’ as web-based information, supported by a series of advice leaflets that could be distributed by osteopaths and other healthcare practitioners. The project has now evolved to utilise the power of social media to spread health and lifestyle messages on exercise, diet, getting older, sleep, and mental health on a dedicated Facebook page ‘Osteopathy for Health’.…

Read more of this article

Dietitians Week: What Dietitians Do

This week (3-7 June) is Dietitians Week, and the British Dietetic Association and its members are using the week to promote the breadth and depth of dietetic practice using the tagline “What Dietitians Do”. Dietitians will be sharing their own personal experiences and highlighting some of the lesser known aspects of the profession, as well as taking part in activities such as sharing their favourite recipes and tagging in other healthcare professionals or patients who are real champions for the profession.…

Read more of this article

Fit For the Future: a Vision for General Practice

The Royal College of GPs (RCGP) has published a vision for general practice for 2030. It sees a very different place for general practice from the current model, with increased multidisciplinary working and a greater focus on prevention and well-being. This was developed with the involvement of patients, GPs and other stakeholders.

This is a response to the changing nature of health needs with more people presenting with complex and multiple conditions. The current primary care workforce is stretched and the numbers of GPs per 1,000 of population have declined by 5% in the last ten years.…

Read more of this article

Aspiring to Excellence programme now open for applications

Following a successful launch event at the British Society for Rheumatology Conference on 1 May, applications are now open for the Aspiring to Excellence award programme. The programme is designed to encourage and recognise service improvement in axial SpA (AS) care and is a strategic partnership between NASS, BRITSpA and sponsoring companies AbbVie, Novartis and UCB.

The deadline to apply is 31 July and all the application details can be found on the NASS website. For further information please contact annamcgilvray@nass.co.uk…

Read more of this article

Construction Roundtable report – Action is needed

Action is needed to tackle £646 million burden of bone, joint and muscle problems, a new ARMA report says.

construction-work-related-pieIndustry leaders called for action to tackle the huge burden of bone, joint and muscle conditions on people in the construction industry, in a report released today (30/05/2019). Physically demanding work means the construction industry has one of the highest rates of musculoskeletal disorders costing £646 million every year – accounting for over three-quarters of all occupational ill-health costs.

The report from the Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance (ARMA) followed a roundtable meeting of industry leaders.…

Read more of this article