MSK & Arthritis News

Keywing – Design Council Spark Award winner

New product the Keywing is opening the door for millions to use keys with ease, while restoring independence.

Winner of the Design Council Spark Award and a £65,000 investment from charity Versus Arthritis, the Keywing is being released on the 27 March 2019, helping millions with reduced dexterity to open doors and regain independence.

Retailing from £4.99, the Keywing is a simple, innovative and thoughtfully designed product that clips onto keys. Once in place, it creates a larger surface area and longer lever, making keys easier to hold, grasp and turn, and locks much easier to open.…

Read more of this article

Ration Watch – Surgery

ARMA has been working with the Medical Technology Group (MTG) to raise concerns about increasing rationing of joint replacement surgery.

The MTG is a coalition of patient groups, research charities and medical device manufacturers working to improve access to cost effective medical technologies for everyone who needs them. MTG has concerns about treatment rationing in general and have launched the Ration Watch campaign to highlight care inequality and the impact it has on patients’ lives.

Ration Watch aims to expose the scale of rationing and the issues around local commissioning across the UK.…

Read more of this article

ARMA Mental Health Roundtable

roundtable-documentIn March, ARMA held a roundtable on mental health. We brought together people from the mental and MSK health sectors, both voluntary and statutory to hear presentations from Arthritis Action, NHS England’s Head of Mental Health, a patient perspective and the Haringey IAPT service.

Improving Access to Psychological Therapies) is designed to support people with depression and anxiety but has recently been rolled out to include long term conditions. In Haringey this includes MSK pain. People are offered a range of different psychological support such as individual Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), guided self help, groups, computerised CBT.…

Read more of this article

Closing the workforce gap

The Health Foundation, Kings Fund and Nuffield Trust recently published a report Closing the Gap: key areas for action on the health and care workforce. The report looked at two areas – nursing and general practice, both very relevant to MSK health care. At the moment the future looks bleak, with 41,000 nursing vacancies in the NHS and another 5,000 in social care. There are 2,500 fewer GPs than are needed. The report, however, is optimistic that these shortfalls can be addressed, provided policy changes are made.…

Read more of this article

Core Skills in MSK Care workshop series

These 1-day practical workshops provide a supportive environment for GPs and other frontline healthcare professionals to develop their confidence and skills in the diagnosis, treatment options and self-management of patients with MSK conditions.

There are six remaining workshops scheduled to take place throughout the UK in 2019:

  • Manchester – 21 May
  • Birmingham – 10 July
  • London – 25 September
  • Leeds – 23 October
  • London – 26 November
  • Glasgow – 10 December

Click here to book your place on any of the above workshops.…

Read more of this article

Aids and Adaptations parliamentary drop-in update

Unfortunately, owing to a planned strike by security staff at Westminster, the Versus Arthritis parliamentary drop-in on aids and adaptations on Wednesday 20 March was cancelled.

This is obviously very disappointing, for Versus Arthritis and campaigners, as we know how important it is for MPs to recognise the impact that aids and adaptations can have for people with arthritis. MPs have been informed and Versus Arthritis is currently working to reschedule the event. VA has also been in touch with the hundreds of supporters who contacted their MPs.…

Read more of this article

NASS delivers inaugural meeting of the first ever APPG on AS

Last week saw a momentous event for people living with axial SpA (AS) in the UK, when NASS held the inaugural meeting of the first ever all-party parliamentary group (APPG) specifically for Axial Spondyloarthritis. Parliamentarians, policy makers, clinicians, healthcare commissioners and NASS members and staff came together to identify and address concerns about AS care.

You can read NASS CEO Dr Dale Webb’s reflections on the meeting and more of what’s to come from NASS’ Every Patient, Every Time campaign.

RCN Rheumatology Nursing Workshop 2019

Advances, innovations and challenges in rheumatology nursing

Friday 28 June 2019, RCN HQ, London

The RCN Rheumatology Nursing Workshop 2019 event includes talks on ‘Understanding vasculitis and impact on inflammatory arthritis patients’ and ‘Understanding the JAK pathway – a new mode of action for rheumatology’.

By attending this workshop you will:

  • hear from leading experts on current issues and challenges facing rheumatology
    practitioners
  • gain an in-depth understanding of emerging drug therapies and the importance of drug monitoring
  • advance your knowledge and skills to deliver and promote excellence in care

Click here for the delegate booking form.

Core Skills in Musculoskeletal Care workshop

Thursday, 14 March 2019, in London

The workshop has been developed by GPs for GPs, and is aimed at furthering your practical skills to encourage best-practice MSK care with your patients. It includes a range of interactive, practical workshops focused on building expertise in MSK care.

The course is worth 12 CPD points if completed alongside the e-learning course.
The cost is £130+ VAT and delegates can sign up at www.coreskillsinmsk.co.uk.

Making Connections with NASS Voices

In 2018 NASS held two community engagement conferences called NASS Voices, in Scotland and Northern Ireland, aiming to bring together people with axial SpA (AS), their families and friends, local rheumatologists, nurses, physiotherapists and others interested in the condition. The team wanted people to come with questions and leave with answers.

Feedback indicated that these events truly delivered on their promise, so NASS is excited to be running four more events in 2019.

Cardiff: Saturday 13 April 2019
Southampton: Saturday 11 May 2019
Leeds: Saturday 7 September 2019
London: Saturday 16 November 2019

These events will feature practical talks and activities delivered by rheumatologists, physiotherapists, branch representatives and members of the NASS team.…

Read more of this article