MSK & Arthritis News

Community-powered MSK Health?

It’s been exciting in the last two years to be working with the BestMSK Health team at NHS England, and now also with MSK improvement work in Wales. There’s been lots of talk about co-production, self-management support, reducing inequalities and a focus on prevention. The direction is very much one that ARMA can support. Then I read A Community Powered NHS from New Local and I started to wonder if we are being brave enough, going far enough, thinking big enough.…

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ARMA trustee elections 2022

Following the ARMA elections, the AGM welcomed newly elected trustees Dale Webb, CEO of NASS, Ruth Sephton, consultant physiotherapist and Debbie Wilson, young persons’ project manager at NRAS. A full list of our Board is on our website.

At the Board meeting on 26 July 2022, Dirk Vennix was elected as chair and Chris Martey as vice-chair.

Newly elected Chair Dirk Vennix said “Having served on the Board in support of the finance and income generation groups over the last four years, I am honoured to have been chosen to lead the ARMA Board going forward.…

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Versus Arthritis – New dates for MSK training

The Versus Arthritis Core Skills training is aimed at GPs and other primary care professionals involved in diagnosing and supporting patients with MSK conditions. All courses are endorsed by the BSR.

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Decision support tools published

Shared decision making toolsNHS England has published a suite of eight decision support tools covering varying conditions along with guidance on how to use them and evaluating the impact.

Four of these relate to MSK conditions:

Decision support tools (DSTs), also called patient decision aids, support shared decision making (SDM) by making treatment, care and support options explicit, providing evidence-based information about the associated benefits and risks, and helping people to consider what matters most to them in relation to the possible outcomes, including doing nothing.…

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Women’s health strategy published

Policy Paper

Women’s Health Strategy for England

Updated 21 July 2022

Although women in the UK on average live longer than men, women spend a significantly greater proportion of their lives in ill health and disability when compared with men. The Women’s Health Strategy for England aims to tackle this.

The strategy sets out a six-point plan to boost health outcomes for all women and girls and radically improve the way in which the health and care system engages and listens to all women and girls.…

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NOA webinar on NCIP orthopaedic roll out

NOA webinar banner Latest NOA webinar focuses on National Consultant Information Portal (NCIP) orthopaedic roll out

The latest NOA webinar focused on the orthopaedic surgery roll out of the National Consultant Information Portal (NCIP). NCIP, a secure online portal which enables NHS consultants and surgeons to review information about their clinical activity and benchmark patient outcomes, is currently being released across in England.

The webinar, which took place on 6 July 2022, featured guest speakers including Stephen Lowis, NCIP programme implementation and insights lead, NHS England and NHS Improvement joined by Deborah Higgs, NCIP orthopaedic clinical lead and clinical director specialist surgeries, consultant shoulder & elbow surgeon consultant orthopaedic surgeon, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust.…

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ARMA CEO in speaker line up for NOA Conference

Conference images The National Orthopaedic Alliance (NOA) Annual Members’ Conference takes place on 19 October 2022 from 9am – 5pm at The Eastside Rooms, Birmingham.

Registration is now open and staff from NOA member organisations are invited to attend.

ARMA CEO, Sue Brown, joins the line-up of speakers alongside Dr Chloe Stewart in a presentation focussed on The Value of Shared Decision Making. Find out more about this and the conference programme on the NOA website.

PCRMM Annual Conference 2022

MSK Across Multi-Disciplinary First Contact Care
11 and 12 November 2022
ONLINE

The Primary Care Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Medicine Society is delighted to announce this year’s conference. The success of past conferences engenders motivation for the Society to try and improve each year and offer more of what will educate, stimulate and benefit you all.

Talks will include ‘Hypermobility Disorders: Common Quandaries in Clinical Practice’, ‘Imaging in Inflammatory Arthritis’ and an ‘Update on Connective Tissue Diseases’ amongst others. There will be breakout rooms again this year for a more interactive experience, on subjects such as ‘FCP – What to Expect’ and ‘Musculoskeletal Problems in Children and Young People’.…

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Guest blog: How treating my RMD has influenced my hopes for the future

By anonymous writer for the EULAR Edgar Stene Prize essay competition, runner-up in the UK national competition

Pain is not something that anyone wants. Chronic illness will rob so much of a person that often, we are only able to see it as stealing from life. For myself, I will never seek to deny the anguish of the first years of my illness with rheumatoid arthritis. I was a shadow, hiding in the corners and trying to find a way out of myself.…

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Ostrich flat feet research

When it comes to pain, what’s right for children’s feet?

People can hold strong beliefs on children’s foot health: from what is worn on the feet, to the use of orthoses. It all comes from a good place and wanting the best for children and young people. 

The most common scenario clinicians encounter is symptomatic flat feet. Despite beliefs, we are not sure what the best intervention for symptomatic flat feet is. This is challenging for clinicians when selecting best care and the offering advice to care givers.…

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