MSK & Arthritis News

Pain consultations during the pandemic

Pain Concern is pleased to announce that the new edition of the Airing Pain podcast will be released on 22/02/2023:

Airing Pain #134 Pain Consultations during the COVID-19 Pandemic – Lessons Learnt.

Watch the trailer.

This edition of Airing Pain examines how COVID-19 has impacted on the relationship between patient and healthcare professional. 

In the two or so years of living with COVID-19, the face-to-face relationship between doctors and patients was one of the first casualties. With restrictions relaxed, have we returned to the status quo, or has what was developed at breakneck speed led to new working practices?  …

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PCRMM webinar: Gout best practice

“Gout diagnosis, treatment and management: an update on best practice in primary care”
PCRMM Webinar
Monday 27 February, 2023
7 – 8.30pm

In many cases, gout diagnosis is simple and treatment is cheap and effective with the potential for significant improvement in patients’ quality of life. NICE recently published their first gout guidelines highlighting the poor treatment of Gout in the UK. The webinar will discuss causes, best practice for diagnosis, treatment and management including the role of treat-to-target and the importance of educating both patients and healthcare professionals about gout.…

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PCRMM MSK Diploma Revision course

After its success last year, the Primary Care Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Medicine Society will be holding another revision course for the Diploma in Musculoskeletal Medicine.

The course will consist of two live study days, delivered online to maximise accessibility. They will be made up of presentations, talks and various relevant materials including case studies and MCQs. Also, at the live events, there will be Q&A sessions held after each talk with an interactive forum so you can ask questions and be involved in discussion.…

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Trailblazing MSK pilot expanding to 100 leisure centres

ukactive’s pilot to transform leisure centres, swimming pools, and gyms into musculoskeletal (MSK) health hubs has been expanded to 100 sites across the UK, as the sector grows its services for the community.

The programme behind the pilot has been designed and provided in collaboration between Good Boost, ukactive, Orthopaedic Research UK, ESCAPE-pain, and Arthritis Action – demonstrating how the fitness and leisure sector can work together to reduce the burden on the healthcare system. Read the full press release.

ESCAPE-pain part of framework to reduce community MSK waits

In January 2023, NHS England published “an improvement framework to reduce community musculoskeletal waits while delivering best outcomes and experience”.

Integrated high quality community musculoskeletal (MSK) services are integral to a productive, high-performing healthcare system supporting the management of MSK conditions. Most people with MSK conditions can be diagnosed and well managed in the community through programmes like ESCAPE-pain.

A smaller number require timely referral to secondary care orthopaedic, rheumatology, spinal or pain management services to enable best outcomes.

Most community MSK services have a triage function to support diagnosis and optimise referrals, and/or a therapies function to rehabilitate those who have sustained an injury or are recovering from surgery, as well as to help people best manage long-term MSK conditions.…

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Research funding awarded by Nuffield Foundation and Versus Arthritis

Nuffield and Versus Arthritis£1.94 million has been awarded by the Nuffield Foundation’s Oliver Bird Fund and Versus Arthritis to support research to improve wellbeing among people living with MSK conditions. Awards have been made to six teams across five universities.

The projects focus on recommendations for policy and practice for improving duration and quality of working lives; developing materials to support education and career pathways for young people with juvenile onset conditions; assessing the benefits of social prescribing; and evaluation of a peer mentoring programme for people experiencing economic disadvantage.…

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Booking open for Diploma in Musculoskeletal Medicine Exam

The Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine UK is now open to applications from doctors and allied health professionals who wish to take the Diploma in Musculoskeletal Medicine examination, that sets the standard for MSK knowledge across the entire breadth of community care.

This Diploma will support evidencing competency as a doctor or allied health professional working towards advanced practice roles (including first contact practitioner and advanced practitioners in primary care) in a range of community settings.

Passing the examination also qualifies candidates to apply for Diplomate Membership of the Faculty.…

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Versus Arthritis Let’s Move for Surgery

Versus Arthritis has launched their brand new Let’s Move for Surgery physical activity resources for people with arthritis waiting for or recovering from joint replacement surgery. The Surgery Toolkit includes a series of tailor-made, follow-along exercise videos for hip, shoulder and knee, as well as full body workouts to help maintain overall fitness. It also features personal stories and advice from those living with arthritis who have been through or are awaiting joint replacement surgery, as well as tips on keeping active from a physiotherapist.…

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Welsh Government publishes NHS Workforce Implementation Plan

workforce planThe National Workforce Implementation Plan outlines a series of practical actions that will act as enablers to accelerate the ten-year Workforce Strategy published in 2020. The Plan highlights a number of actions that need to progress immediately to address some of the most urgent pressures within the NHS now. Plans for specific professions and services like nursing, dentistry, or pharmacy will be published over the next two years.

Read the National workforce implementation plan on the www.gov.wales website.

New Community MSK Framework

An improvement framework to reduce community musculoskeletal waits while delivering best outcomes and experience

10 January 2023

A new improvement framework has just been published by NHS England.

It will support integrated care systems (ICSs) to reduce commissioned community MSK waiting times while delivering best outcomes and experience for patients. It includes defining principles, recommended actions across primary, community and secondary care and further resources.

Read the official publication here.