MSK & Arthritis News

Workforce planning chart for MSK

The launch of NHS England’s Best MSK Health programme gives the population’s musculoskeletal health in England a focus and priority like never before, and much needed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

NHS England waiting times data shows people with serious MSK conditions needing diagnosis and treatment by rheumatology and elective care services are waiting much longer. The same is true for community MSK services and treatment. At the other end of the spectrum, for people who previously had no long-term conditions, the lockdown effect on mental well-being, exercise and weight-gain are significant obstacles to their musculoskeletal health now and into the future.…

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Edgar Stene Prize Winner

Every year, the Edgar Stene Prize is awarded to the person with a rheumatic or musculoskeletal disease (RMD) submitting the best essay describing their individual experience of living with their condition. The winner of the Edgar Stene Prize 2021 writing on the topic, “How digital solutions benefit my life as a person with an RMD”, is Ms Stine Bjørk Brøndum Jefsen from Denmark. She will attend the Virtual EULAR Congress 2021. The second place is awarded this year to Ms Sunčica Đorđević from Serbia and third place goes to Ms Penka Velkova from Bulgaria.…

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You are invited to the virtual ARMA Lecture

Partnerships for Best MSK Health – ARMA Annual Lecture 2021

When: 6pm, Monday 19 April 2021
Registration: online

We are delighted to introduce our 2021 virtual annual lecture. The event, ‘Partnership and Best MSK Health’, will be introduced by Andrew Bennett, NHS National Clinical Director of MSK, followed by a panel discussion when he will be joined by:

  • Nuzhat Ali, National Lead MSK Health, Public Health England
  • Amanda Hensman-Crook, AHP National Clinical Fellow, Health Education England
  • Cristina Serrao, Lived Experience Ambassador, Experience of Care Team, NHS England and NHS Improvement

As we rebuild services and support after the pandemic, how can we ensure we deliver the best MSK health for the population?…

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The College becomes the Royal College of Podiatry

The College of Podiatry has been renamed as the Royal College of Podiatry (RCPod) after being granted permission to use the title by Her Majesty The Queen.

The RCPod is the professional body for podiatry and represents 10,000 members in the United Kingdom and internationally. With its members, the RCPod campaigns to raise awareness that good lower-limb health is essential, and that podiatry is a key element of preventative medicine in the wider health economy. Permission to use the royal title is granted by The Queen, who acts on advice provided to her by her ministers.…

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Foot Health Week 2021

Foot Health Week is approaching fast – 12-18 April 2021

The focus of FHW 2021 will be to highlight to the public that podiatry services are open and available for use.

There have been many changes in service provision as podiatry staff support the wider COVID-19 workforce to provide care in vaccination centres, wound care and nursing. As the roadmap to recover from the pandemic unfolds, podiatry services in MSK return to normal and podiatrists continue to work in rehabilitation and management of MSK health.…

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Welsh Government MSK consultation

Open Consultation

Arthritis and long-term musculoskeletal conditions in adults

Consultation ends 30 July 2021

The Welsh Government has released a consultation document: Arthritis and Long-term Musculoskeletal Conditions in adults. This guidance is currently being developed to replace the Welsh Government’s Service Development and Commissioning Directives for Arthritis and Chronic Musculoskeletal Conditions [2006].

The new consultation seeks views on the proposed direction of the draft guidance and closes on 30 July 2021.

Please see the links below to the consultation documents:

The document provides definitive models of access and advises health boards on designing, planning and managing person-centred services for adults living with arthritis and long-term musculoskeletal conditions.…

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PSA Annual Conference – save the date

The Psoriasis Association’s Annual Conference will take place on Saturday 19 June 2021.

The decision has been made to hold it online via Zoom, and it will be free to attend.
The Conference’s keynote speaker has been confirmed as Catherine Smith, Consultant Dermatologist at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, and a leading expert in psoriasis.

Details of how to register and a full agenda will be announced shortly – save the date in your calendar!

Conference teaser

Green shoots

As I write this, the sun outside my window is shining and swathes of blue and yellow crocuses bloom in the local parks. As if that were not enough to lift the spirits, last night saw the launch of NHS England’s Best MSK Health programme. ARMA has worked for many years to raise the profile of MSK health. We have made some progress, often in very specific areas, such as the introduction of First Contact MSK Practitioners a few years ago.…

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#BestMSKHealth programme launch

NHS England has launched a new programme with the aim of sustaining the delivery of evidence-informed, personalised, high-quality integrated healthcare of value to all. This new initiative, part of the Pathways for Better Health Programme, significantly increases the resource to support MSK service delivery.

The programme covers the breadth of MSK including orthopaedics, rheumatology and pain, spanning primary secondary and community services. You can watch the launch event here.

The programme has ten workstreams, each led by a relevant clinical specialist:

  • Diagnostics
  • Orthopaedics
  • Rheumatology
  • Primary and Community MSK Provision
  • Spinal Services
  • Falls, Fragility Fractures and Osteoporosis
  • Data, Validation and Coding
  • Communications and Developing MSK Networks
  • Supporting those with Long Term MSK Conditions
  • Outpatients

There is the intention to ensure that the programme is coproduced involving the range of stakeholders including people with lived experience and patient organisations.…

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Living with a stranger – ‘The Uninvited Guest’ in the time of COVID

Guest blog by Emily Earle

Emily’s 12 year old daughter was diagnosed with JIA in 2010 at the age of 2. Emily now volunteers for the charity ‘CCAA – Kids with Arthritis’ running their local area network of support groups. CCAA offers support to children with JIA and their families across England and Wales.

Life with a child who has a medical condition can be challenging at any time. Families usually manage because we have to. Quite simply, we do not get the choice to say: ‘No thanks!…

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