MSK & Arthritis News

Rheumatoid Arthritis Game of Life

The timely, effective and responsive assessment and management of patients using the Patient Advice and Information Lines (PAIL) leads to improved quality of care and patient experience.

Whilst a number of the Patient Advice and Information Line calls are related to clinical concerns, patients, family and carers often talk about other life events that may impact on their treatment and management plan. Clinical Nurse Specialists and Members of the Rheumatology Multidisciplinary team need to be responsive with a wealth of knowledge and experience; they must also be imaginative with a bit of Health Service/ Community Care “common sense” to support these patients through these life events.…

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RCN Rheumatology18 is next week

The Royal College of Nursing is putting the final preparations in place for the RCN Rheumatology Nursing workshop 2018.

12 Jan 2018
from 11:00 – 15:00

This event will enable specialist nurses to continue to deliver excellent care, follow best practice and inspire colleagues despite continued NHS barriers and difficulties.

The workshop is based on the results of a forum survey which asked you to identify issues relating to the management of rheumatological disease, interventions, treatment and support. The aim is to address these issues as well as develop the unmet need for clinical leadership skills and personal and professional resilience.…

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Pharmacists can play a key role in an integrated patient care team

Guest blog by Robbie Turner, Director of England, Royal Pharmaceutical Society

With people living longer lives, the number living with multiple long-term conditions is rising, leading to billions of pounds in additional health and social care costs. This will be a scenario very familiar to the members of ARMA.

Treatment and support for the growing number of people with long term conditions such as arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions is placing significant demands on the NHS and other public services. Around £15 billion was spent on medicines in 2015/16, which are the most common solution chosen to help manage symptoms for people with long term conditions. …

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BASEM Spring Conference 2018

Get Dynamic: Hormones, Health and Human Performance

What are the key Endocrine and Metabolic considerations for elite athletes to reluctant exercisers?

Discussion, led by experienced clinicians and researchers will cover:

  • Key role of Sports Endocrinology in health and performance
  • Effects of exercise modalities on body composition and bone health
  • Machine learning in interpreting biochemical & metabolic patterns
  • Endocrine & metabolic markers in assessing health & training status
  • Gut metabolism in supporting health and performance
  • Exercise as crucial lifestyle factor in pre-existing metabolic dysfunction

22 March 2018
The Keepmoat Stadium
Doncaster

See more details, including the programme and list of speakers at:
http://www.basem.co.uk/education/basem-spring-conference-2018/…

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BASEM Foundation Skills Course 2018

A three and a half day residential course aimed at providing a thorough grounding in areas that make up Sport and Exercise Medicine (SEM).

10 – 13 June 2018
Venue: Lilleshall National Sports Centre, Shropshire

The course will cover aspects of both sports medicine and science in health, disease and following acute and chronic injury.
The course will be as practical/hands on as possible and lectures will include: Anatomy, pathologies and practical examinations of the foot, ankle, knee, shoulder & spine:

  • Exercise physiology
  • Nutrition in sport
  • Sport and doping
  • Practical rehab
  • Event Medicine

For the draft programme, course fees and registration, please visit this link on the BASEM website.

Happy 2018?

Happy New Year to all our supporters.

Although it is hard to feel that it will be happy for the NHS as winter crisis stories filled the media. Everyone in Government including the Prime Minister was forced to apologise as routine operations were postponed to help cope with the pressure of emergencies. Ministers appeared in the media to argue that the moves were part of a planned response and therefore there was no “crisis”. Listening to the coverage I took a small crumb of comfort: again and again, when giving an example of the negative impact of delays, hip and knee operations were mentioned.…

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Engagement and involvement in tough NHS decisions

National Voices has written an open letter to the Chief Executive of NHS England, Simon Stevens, expressing concern that decisions to ration treatments and services will be made behind closed doors, with people not listened to.

The Autumn Budget 2017 did not deliver the funding increases that health and social care need. In subsequent statements, a number of NHS leaders have suggested the need for tough decisions about what can be afforded by – and expected of – the NHS.…

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New Self-Management Event in Warrington

Arthritis Action will be holding a new two-day Self-Management Event (SME) on Friday 9 February at 6pm–8.30pm and Saturday 10 February at 2pm–4.30pm.

For the first time we are holding our SME outside our usual daytime schedule, to attract a younger audience of attendees who may be in employment or otherwise unavailable during the week.

We aim to help our delegates take control of the symptoms of their arthritis, covering topics such as:

  • The impact of physical therapies
  • How you can best manage your pain
  • The benefits of exercise and a healthy diet
  • Ways to work in partnership with healthcare professionals

This event will be free of charge but places must be booked, via this link.…

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Update to Ealing MSK JSNA chapter

The London Borough of Ealing and NHS Ealing CCG published their update to the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) chapter on Musculoskeletal Health in December 2017. The JSNA is a statutory document that describes the health and social care needs of the population, identifies gaps and unmet needs, and makes evidence-based recommendations to health and social care commissioners.

Two versions have been published.  A visually appealing ‘Focus on’ Musculoskeletal Health chapter provides a compact, easy-to-navigate review, and is essential reading for commissioners and providers of musculoskeletal services:

http://www.ealingccg.nhs.uk/media/136195/EALING-JSNA-Focus-On-Musculoskeletal-Health-Dec17.pdf…

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Rheumatology and Radiology Healthcare Professional Conference

“Back to Back”
Back pain in Rheumatology
Friday 20th April 2018
Venue: Village Hotel, Lakeshore Drive, Portsmouth PO6 3FR

Join the Portsmouth Department of Rheumatology for the “Back to Back” Conference, where local and national experts will discuss the latest developments in rheumatological disorders with an emphasis on the use of radiological imaging to support diagnosis and management, in line with current best practice for Inflammatory Back Pain and Vertebral Fractures.
The conference is open to radiographers, nurse specialists and members of the multidisciplinary team involved in the management of patients with inflammatory back pain and vertebral fractures.…

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