MSK & Arthritis News

AHPs – Developing new models to support system challenges

Guest blog by Suzanne Rastrick, Chief Allied Health Professions Officer, NHS England

As I look back on 2018 it has been a great year for AHPs and for the NHS. 2018 has seen acknowledgement of ‘the Brilliance of AHPs’ by Simon Stevens, the Chief Executive of NHS England and development of a number of work areas which have highlighted how AHPs can support the challenges faced by the Health and Social care system in England. AHPs are a diverse group of practitioners recognised for their autonomy with proven ability to apply innovative solutions to the challenges facing communities across health and social care, but also in wider settings such as education, the military, justice, independent and voluntary sectors.…

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Work Foundation Report – Who Cares?

The Work Foundation’s Health at Work Policy Unit  has published its latest report: Who cares? The implications of informal care and work for policymakers and employers.

The number of informal carers in the UK is substantial and growing. Between 2001 and 2011, their number rose significantly (outstripping population growth) from 5.8 million to 6.5 million. Most carers are women (around 60%) and the vast majority (around 4.1 million) are of working age. Furthermore, the majority of working age carers (2.6 million) combine work with their caring responsibilities.…

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HMSA’s Four Nations Survey via Genetic Alliance

With a new strategy, “Driving progress: genetic, rare and undiagnosed”, the HMSA is committed to examining their impact within the four nations of the UK in order to build a plan that ensures they are truly a UK-wide organisation. The first step is to build a picture of how HMSA members currently operate across the UK. There has been a good response the survey; next the aim is to provide more engagement and opportunities for staff and volunteers.

Giving GPs the Tools

The HMSA’s current GP campaign is part of their work to improve professionals’ awareness and education so they’re able to more quickly identify those people presenting with hypermobility related disorders.…

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MSK Services Survey

ARMA wants to find out what is happening across England’s MSK services so we can learn how best target to our support for improvements.

This MSK Services survey gathers information on the quality of local services, programmes and improvements related to primary care, orthopaedics, rheumatology, pain management, community MSK, and public health. This is part of our Clinical Networks Project, a partnership between ARMA and NHS England.

Our report will be anonymised; no names of individuals, CCGs or STPs will be released.…

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A new chiropractic course based in Teesside University

Teesside University and the Society for Promoting Chiropractic Education (SPCE) are delighted to announce the start of a new chiropractic course. Subject to regulatory clearances, the course will begin in Autumn 2019.

This is a major development as it is the first chiropractic course in the North East of the country and will continue to enhance and increase the opportunities for the profession, not just locally but also nationally.

Teesside University has world-class training and research facilities for musculoskeletal (MSK) healthcare, especially in physiotherapy and sports science.…

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Deadline fast approaching for EULAR Edgar Stene Prize Competition 2019

There are only a few days left to apply for the prestigious EULAR Edgar Stene Prize Competition 2019. People with rheumatic and musculoskeletal disorders are invited to write about their personal experiences submitting essays on the topic of:

“My ideal employer – Work without barriers for people with RMDs”

Please find more information in these documents:

Please take a careful look at the deadlines and entry rules mentioned in the respective documents.…

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MSK Champions Versus Arthritis

Versus Arthritis is delighted to announce that they will shortly be open for applications for the second round of the MSK Champions programme; a prestigious leadership development opportunity. 

Together with international business school Ashridge Executive Education, Versus Arthritis has created a bespoke leadership initiative, which will support you to become a Champion of musculoskeletal care. You’ll join a galvanized community of role models and ambassadors who advocate change and work together to improve musculoskeletal care.

Are you passionate about leading change in MSK care?…

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Annual Lecture 2018

More people, more active, more often: three perspectives on physical activity and musculoskeletal health

21 November 2018

Introduced by Sue Brown ARMA CEO and Liam O’Toole, CEO, Versus Arthritis, who partnered with ARMA for the flagship lecture, the three presenters delivered speeches that did not disappoint the rapt audience of health professionals, commissioners, patients, public and NHS health officials and, of course, parkrunners. The discussion about how to overcome the barriers to activity faced by people with musculoskeletal conditions ranged from big-picture societal issues to practical hows-to.…

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CSP: It’s never too late to get stronger

The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy has released a short Christmas film called Never Too Late as part of their “Love Activity” campaign.

The film is a heart-warmer about a physio who helps a lonely widower regain his strength and sense of purpose so that he can return to his role playing Father Christmas at the local children’s ward. Alongside the video, a webpage includes six exercises that can help people stay strong and independent this winter.

The short film is available via the CSP webpage or on social media.

Alliance releases Musculoskeletal Conditions and Mental Health Policy Position Paper

In England alone, approximately 4.6 million people have had both a long-term physical health condition and mental health problems. People with long-term physical health conditions are two to three times more likely to experience mental health problems. For the working age population in the UK, musculoskeletal and mental health conditions are the most common health conditions. 35.2% of all working aged disabled people in the UK experience musculoskeletal conditions only; 20.2% experience mental health conditions only; and 17.2% experience both.

In policy directives and in practice, these conditions are often dealt with separately, although we are beginning to see some change now.…

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