Musculoskeletal support professionals in the community
by Dr Rob Hampton, GP and Occupational Physician
Across the world, chronic musculoskeletal conditions such as osteoarthritis, inflammatory disorders and common regional conditions such as back, neck, shoulder, hip and knee pain now represent the single greatest cause of years lived with disability 1. When measuring their negative impact on employment, self-reported wellbeing and day-to-day function, chronic musculoskeletal pain conditions are every bit as invasive as other chronic conditions such as heart failure, diabetes and COPD.…
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In early February, ARMA was one of 55 signatories to an open letter published in The Times newspaper from the Association of Directors of Public Health. The letter argued that public health should be a priority in the Spending Review.
Versus Arthritis is excited to report that over 1,000 people have answered the survey on aids and adaptations.
Since the NHS Long Term Plan (LTP) was published on 7 January 2019, the NHS Operational Planning and Contracting Guidance 2019/20 has been released. It gives guidance on how the additional funding settlement for the NHS should be used.
Prevention seems to have been the theme of my February. The possibility that a lot of the pain and disability of MSK conditions might be prevented, and that this is being taken seriously is an exciting prospect. Even where the conditions can’t be prevented, good self-management support can make a big difference to the impact of the condition. The Government is clear that the future sustainability of the NHS depends on prevention, and that it wants to improve healthy life expectancy by at least five extra years, by 2035.… 
We all know that MSK is one of the two biggest causes of sickness absence in the UK. It’s perhaps no surprise that this is even more true in the construction sector. Every year, occupational ill‐health costs construction employers £848million in reduced productivity, sick pay, cover for absence and replacing staff who leave because of ill health. 
The process of developing the green paper promised by Government has just begun with a consultation meeting involving a range of health charities, including ARMA. It seems clear that MSK conditions will be included, but ARMA, with our members, will work with the Department to help shape what that looks like in the final Green Paper.