Arthritis News & Musculoskeletal News from ARMA's Members

National Voices’ Manifesto for Equitable Healthcare

In what is very likely to be an election year, National Voices have shared their Manifesto for Equitable Healthcare – which puts forth three general election priorities.

Co-produced with National Voices’ members, the manifesto is supported by a common theme – ensuring that the NHS works for all, not just those who know how to navigate the system or who come from more privileged backgrounds.

The manifesto seeks to remind politicians that adopting these priorities will not just improve things for patients but will also help drive NHS stability and wider economic benefits.…

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Societal Inequalities and Disparities in Pain Management

The latest Airing Pain Podcast, Societal Inequalities and Disparities in Pain Management, is available now.

This edition investigates the significant inequalities and disparities in treatment among primary care pain management services.
Does gender, ethnicity, disability and locality affect access and quality of pain care?

Listen now.

Taking part in this discussion:

Professor Jonathan Hill is the Director of Research for the School of Allied Health Professionals, and a Professor of Physiotherapy, in the Keele School of Medicine;
Dr Ama Kissie is a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Ghent and a Clinical Psychologist;
Dr Whitney Scott is a clinical psychologist who lectures at Kings College London and is the research lead at the INPUT Pain Management Unit at Guy’s & St Thomas’ Hospital.

…

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NASS needs to hear from you

NASS is excited to launch a call for evidence as part of their efforts to establish a Gold Standard in Treatment and Care for Axial Spondyloarthritis as part of the Aspiring to Excellence programme.

NASS is looking for people with lived experience of axial SpA, and healthcare professionals to share with us their real-life examples of good treatment and care.

For people with lived experience, an example might be a course or education session you attended, a new way of being able to communicate with your healthcare team which improved your experience, or a routine that you were able to develop with your healthcare team to help with a specific part of living with axial SpA.…

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Webinar: Dietary Management of Gout

Arthritis Action is pleased to launch their new season of webinars with ‘Dietary Management of Gout: Science or Fiction?’ It was recorded in February and will soon be available on the Arthritis Action webinars page and YouTube channel.

During the webinar, the guest speaker and gout expert Dr Lorraine Watson discusses what gout is and guides us through the current evidence on nutrition and gout. Lorraine is joined by Martin Lau, Arthritis Action Services Manager & Dietitian and Member Services Manager Terry Urbanczyk, hosting the event.

Arthritis & Me – Self Management Event

Wednesday 6^th March 2024

Arthritis Action is running its first self-management event specifically targeted at the needs and lives of people aged 18-40. The online event will address topics such as: pain management, healthy eating & weight management, staying active, hobbies and social life, emotional wellbeing and pacing and distraction techniques.

Tickets are free and anyone interested in attending can contact events@arthritisaction.org.uk, or send a message via WhatsApp: 07702 813737, or book direct from Eventbrite.

Webinar: MSK waiting list self-management support

“How to implement self-management support for MSK patients on waiting lists”

Join a live webinar with getUBetter as they share their insights on how to implement digital self-management support for musculoskeletal (MSK) patients on waiting lists.

12% of the UK adult population is on a waiting list, with 10,000 waiting for a T&O operation across an Integrated Care System (ICS). The length of waiting lists, persistent pain, and deconditioning are all a problem. There’s an absolute need to provide evidence-based locally configured peri-operative self-management support and safety netting for patients on waiting lists, wherever they are waiting in the system.…

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Save our data

by Sue Brown, CEO ARMA

As the final draft of our report into the MSK health inequalities inquiry comes together, a few things have made me think about the importance of data.

First the good news. NHS England has published a statement on information on health inequalities. The Statement includes which information on health inequalities should be collected, analysed and published by NHS bodies in England. Sadly, it does not link to the conditions in the Major Conditions Strategy, so MSK is included only in the overall figures for elective care.…

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Information on Health Inequalities – NHSE

NHS England’s Statement on Information on Health Inequalities (duty under section 13SA of the National Health Service Act 2006) was published in November 2023.

Integrated care boards, trusts and foundation trusts should use this statement to identify key information on health inequalities and set out how they have responded to it in annual reports. The document sets out a range of indications which should be published by relevant NHS bodies in England.

The list does not include any MSK-specific measures, although elective care is included, of which MSK makes up a significant portion.…

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Aquatics and swimming programme for all health and social care staff

The Aquatic Activity and Swimming for Health e-learning programme is now available for everyone within health and social care settings.

Previously only available for colleagues with an NHS email address, the programme can now be accessed by all.

The resource, developed in partnership with Swim England, Aquatic Therapy Association of Chartered Physiotherapists (ATACP) and the University of Nottingham, raises awareness of the benefits of aquatic activity on health and wellbeing and will enhance learners’ confidence in identifying patients who would benefit most.…

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Environmental sustainability in orthopaedics

New white paper on environmental sustainability in orthopaedic surgery & MSK Health

Orthopaedic Research and The British Orthopaedic Trainees Association (BOTA) have co-authored a white paper on environmental sustainability in orthopaedic surgery and MSK Health.

As one of the largest areas of expenditure for the NHS, including 25% of the UK’s surgical workload, musculoskeletal (MSK) health has to be at the forefront of efforts to achieve a net zero NHS. The white paper summarises initiatives across healthcare, and specifically within MSK health to reduce its overall carbon footprint and provides case studies on practical ways in which clinical teams are embracing more environmentally sustainable practices, whilst maintaining standards of care.…

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