MSK & Arthritis News

RA Awareness Week – #RAFactOrFiction Quiz

fact or fiction titleRA Awareness Week took place on 12-17 September, and the theme this year was to dispel the myths that surround living with Rheumatoid Arthritis, with a brand new #RAFactOrFiction quiz.

NRAS needs your help to spread awareness of the condition, and you can do this by sharing the #RAFactOrFiction quiz with your friends and family, to help people understand more about the condition and the impact it has on people’s lives.

We know that those of you in the RA community are only too aware of the misconceptions that other people can have around inflammatory arthritis, so this quiz has been designed to educate the general public about the condition.…

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Sharing pain podcast episode

Pain Concern would like to announce their new podcast episode, Sharing pain – how group consultations can help with long COVID and other conditions.

Episode description: Airing Pain producer, Paul Evans, spoke to doctors and patients at Berkshire Pain Clinic and Woodley Centre Surgery about managing the symptoms of Long COVID, the importance of group consultations and the similarities between Long COVID and other chronic conditions. The episode also explores the multi-disciplinary approach at the clinic, and includes interviews with a range of medical staff on how they help people to manage their symptoms.…

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NHFD 2022 annual report 

The National Hip Fracture Database (NHFD) 2022 annual report has been published and encompasses the whole of 2020 and 2021, to demonstrate how care compares with that prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Building on the detailed analysis of the six key performance indicators (KPIs) in the previous report, it seeks to look forward with innovations including new KPIs designed to examine the very first and final stages of each patient’s care pathway.

Hip fracture report coverThis year the report focuses on how hospitals can best make use of the data to improve care through quality improvement, including how to identify areas of improvement using the new quarterly governance tool.…

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Fibromyalgia healthcare research

A new research study aims to better understand how people with Fibromyalgia experience healthcare. In particular the impact of having the diagnosis and any experience of stigma within the health services.

The study is open to anyone over 18 with Fibromyalgia and is being carried out by the University of Sheffield alongside the University Medical Centre Groningen (NL) and Pain Alliance Europe. For full details on how to participate please see the project website.  

Guest blog: Narrowing the gap

Bola Owolabiby Bola Owolabi, Director, National Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Programme

Health inequalities are unfair and avoidable differences in health across the population, and between different groups within society. They arise because of the conditions in which we are born, grow, live, work and age. These conditions influence how we think, feel and act and can impact both our physical and mental health and wellbeing.

This #BoneJointWeek I am delighted to see the Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance’s commitment to taking action to narrow musculoskeletal health inequalities, particularly with regards to listening to the experiences of underserved communities and working in partnership to improve care.…

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Thinking wider about workforce

I saw a tweet this morning from a local provider partnership seeking exercise instructors willing to train in falls management. The challenge of workforce is ever present in the NHS right now. I think we need to think more creatively and use the breadth of the workforce we have if we are ever to deliver on our ambition to improve the MSK health of the population and ensure excellent services for those who need them.

Community MSK is the backbone of MSK.…

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NASS seeks partner to co-design integrated pilot

NASS invites expressions of interest to co-design and test an Integrated Pilot as part of the implementation of our Gold Standard Time to Diagnosis for axial SpA.

Do you want to be at the forefront of ending the delay to diagnosis in axial SpA?

In June 2021, the National Axial Spondyloarthritis Society (NASS) published a route map to achieve a Gold Standard Time to Diagnosis of one year through the Act on Axial SpA campaign. The route map proposes four key interventions for achieving this goal.…

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Rheumatoid Arthritis Mela event for the South Asian community

Join NRAS on 13 October 2022, 9:30am-4:00pm, at Leicester Racecourse for the Rheumatoid Arthritis Mela event for the South Asian community.

The event is open to anyone who has rheumatoid arthritis, as well as their family members, friends or carers. You’ll have an opportunity to talk to others with the condition, hear from our guest speakers and health professionals in attendance. Free lunch will be provided also.

For more information visit the event page on the NRAS website.

NRAS Champions’ Awards and Gala dinner

NRAS will be holding their 21st Anniversary Gala Dinner and awards ceremony in Windsor at the Castle Hotel on 9 September 2022.

This sold out event marks a significant milestone in the history of the charity. The night will be filled with music, food and dancing, featuring music from a live band: !daft! There will also be a raffle and an auction with fantastic prizes.

NRAS has also decided to combine this special event with the NRAS Champions’ Awards. To read about the winners and their work, open the Gala dinner press release.