MSK & Arthritis News

Consultation on new Chiropractic Quality Standard: Osteoporosis

The Royal College of Chiropractors has opened a consultation on a draft Osteoporosis Quality Standard and is seeking the views of all stakeholders including interested organisations, chiropractors, other healthcare professionals, patients and the public.

rcc logo Comments are invited on any aspect of the document including its relevance and applicability to the chiropractic profession, the achievability of the standards described in the quality statements, the utility of the quality statements in terms of promoting best care, the document’s accuracy and validity in terms of the evidence base and the clarity of the content to practitioners, patients and other stakeholders.…

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Vote for PHE MSK Indicator

public health outcomes banner

For the first time, a musculoskeletal indicator may be included in the ‘Public Health Outcomes Framework’ (PHOF). The PHOF is a set of indicators Public Health England use to determine the nation’s public health and is reviewed every year – a good analogy is the ‘basket of goods’ that are reviewed every year to measure inflation.

However, the indicator is not guaranteed unless it gets support and is ‘voted up’ to assure its inclusion. So please take five minutes to complete the survey and ‘vote up’ the MSK indicator.…

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CEO update: Let’s all get on the bandwagon together

As I sat down to write this, NHS Chief Executive Simon Stevens was on the radio talking about plans to increase the ability of patients to see pharmacists and physios rather than a GP as their first point of contact in the NHS. Ensuring we have the right workforce to meet the growing health needs of an ageing population is a real challenge. ARMA’s different professional members have a lot to contribute, as I discovered when I spent a day at the Royal College of Chiropractors conference.…

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NICE guideline – Shared decision making

The draft scope for this NICE guideline is now out for consultation; it is a valuable opportunity to ensure that the guideline considers issues important to your members. The consultation page contains the documents, background papers and instructions on how to comment.

The consultation on this draft scope will close at 5pm on 15 February 2019.

NICE will also be recruiting people with a practitioner, care provider or commissioner background and lay members (people using services, family members and carers, and members of the public and community or voluntary sector) to join the Committee for this guideline.…

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Work and Health Challenge Fund

Details of the successful applications for the Work and Health Challenge Fund are available now.

The Work and Health Unit (WHU), which is jointly managed by the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department of Health and Social Care, is using a £4.2m Challenge Fund to test new approaches that can help people experiencing mental health and/or musculoskeletal (MSK) issues stay in work.

The WHU were looking to fund initiatives which will improve our understanding of what works in one or more of the following areas:

  • Helping people stay in work by increasing their ability to self-manage their conditions.


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NICE guidelines in development

NICE are developing guidelines on:

  • Mental wellbeing at work
  • Osteoarthritis (update)
  • Social and emotional wellbeing in primary and secondary education (update)

 The following NICE guidelines are also being checked to see whether they need updating:

  • GSG8 Improving outcomes for people with skin tumours including melanoma
  • NG14 Melanoma: assessment and management

If you would like to register your organisation as a stakeholder for any of these topics, please login or complete the registration form on their website.

Names of all organisations registered as stakeholders for each topic will be posted on the NICE website.…

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New MSK at Work Network

Good musculoskeletal (MSK) health is integral to a full working life. The MSK at Work Network, established in 2019, aims to keep workers healthy via advocacy to: 

  • Policy makers (e.g. to mandate MSK at work strategies to support employees); 
  • Employers (e.g. to put in place MSK at work action linked with general work and health activities for employees); 
  • Health professionals (e.g. to ensure MSK at work is part of practice with patients) and 
  • Academics (e.g. to communicate MSK at work research and identify gaps).


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Chiropractor Peter Dixon appointed Fellow of NICE

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has appointed chiropractor Peter Dixon as a Fellow.

This Fellowship is for experienced leaders in health and social care to become ambassadors for NICE and to help promote high quality care by developing new ways of working across the care sector.

Peter, who is currently a Director at the Society for promoting Chiropractic Education and President of the Royal College of Chiropractors, is a practising chiropractor who has held a range of senior leadership positions in chiropractic including Chair of the UK’s statutory regulator, the General Chiropractic Council (GCC) and as President of the British Chiropractic Council and the European Chiropractors’ Union.  …

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MSK Champions key dates

Versus Arthritis are delighted to announce that they’re now open for applications for the second round of the MSK Champions programme, a prestigious leadership development opportunity. 

Together with international business school Ashridge Executive Education, they created a bespoke leadership initiative, which will support you to become a Champion of musculoskeletal care. You’ll join a galvanized community of role models and ambassadors who champion change and work together to improve musculoskeletal care.

Are you passionate about leading change in MSK care?

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Webinar – How to implement NBRPP

How to implement the National Back and Radicular Pain Pathway (NBRPP)

12.30 – 1.30pm Friday 8 March 2019

The webinar aims to support the implementation of the National Back and Radicular Pain Pathway. It will initially explain the pathway and present data from early implementers to help make the case for change in your local area. The physiotherapist who led the implementation of the NBRPP across Cheshire and Merseyside as part of the Walton Centre Vanguard Project will talk about her experiences, common barriers to implementation and strategies to overcome them.…

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