Author: Garreth

Portsmouth Flare Rollercoaster workshop

Flare Roller Coaster for People Living with Arthritis and Connective Tissue Diseases

The Next Rheumatology Flare Roller Coaster workshop will be held on Saturday 3rd February 2018, from 09:30 -13:00.
Venue: Fracture Clinic – C Level, Queen Alexandra Hospital, Cosham PO6 3LY

Places are limited so please register early.

To book your place or receive more information, email: rheumatology.conference@porthosp.nhs.uk or telephone 02392286935

For frequently asked questions about our Flare Rollercoaster workshop, please see our leaflet [PDF].

If you have arthritis or a connective tissue disease, the festive period can be tough.…

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2018 AACP Annual Conference


The Acupuncture Association of Chartered Physiotherapists (AACP) is delighted to announce that their 2018 Annual Conference will be taking place at the Hilton, Reading on Saturday 19th May 2018.

Overview: Open to all with an interest and passion for Acupuncture in Physiotherapy, this conference provides a full day schedule packed with distinguished speakers educating you in the latest in acupuncture research and techniques. There will be time for you to ask questions directly to the experts and further discuss areas of interest to you.…

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International BMJD Congress 2018

The 6th World Congress on Controversies, Debates & Consensus in Bone, Muscle & Joint Diseases (BMJD) will take place November 8-10, 2018 in Bangkok, Thailand. bmjd-congress.org

The 6th BMJD Congress will address the most burning questions in the field of Rheumatoid Arthritis, Inflammatory Arthritis, Osteoarthritis, Spondyloarthropathy, Lupus, and more. Through debates of controversial issues and discussions on clinically relevant updates, the Congress will help provide practical management solutions to a number of challenging issues encountered in daily practice.

 

Transforming Elective Care Handbooks

The NHS England Transforming Elective Care programme has produced its first two handbooks. They suggest new referral and outpatient processes for elective musculoskeletal/orthopaedic services and elective gastroenterology services.

They draw on practical interventions developed and tested at various sites that took part in the programme’s early work. Each handbook is intended to provide practical, evidence-based advice on tested interventions to ensure people access care that is:

  • high quality
  • timely
  • appropriate
  • person-centred
  • equitable

The MSK handbook includes information on

  • MSK clinical review and triage
  • Standard referral templates
  • First contact practitioner
  • MSK self-management education
  • Patient passport
  • Telephone follow up

NOS publishes new Osteoporosis Standards and Vertebral Fractures Guidance

On 30th November 2017, the National Osteoporosis Society published new Osteoporosis Standards and Vertebral Fractures Guidance for Health Professionals. The guidelines help health professionals provide the possible care for people with osteoporosis.

Fizz Thompson, Clinical Director for the National Osteoporosis Society, said: “The National Osteoporosis Society plays a key role in driving positive change in healthcare provision for people affected by fractures and osteoporosis, and these new documents – developed with clinical experts over a two year period – demonstrate how the Charity is setting the agenda in this area.…

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Musculoskeletal Conditions, Disability and Employment: ARMA Annual Lecture

ARMA is delighted to announce that Dame Carol Black will present the ARMA annual lecture on 29th January 2018.

Musculoskeletal conditions cause physical and mental distress and disability. They often distance sufferers from the labour market with associated financial consequences; they narrow social interactions; and they reduce individual wellbeing. This should not be so. Carol Black, having worked for more than ten years in this area, first as National Director for Health and Work and then as adviser to DH, PHE and NHSE, will review progress to date by government, health professionals and employers.…

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Giving GPs the Tools

On the 30th November 2017, the HMSA launched its ‘Giving GPs the Tools’ campaign! Click here to see the poster, full size.

With funding for UK healthcare held by GPs, a good relationship with your GP based on working in a partnership, is vital. They are the gateway to access any specialist services and interventions we may need. Yet time and time again, the HMSA hears about negative experiences. Positive management of the conditions the HMSA supports, needs to involve a well-informed GP working in partnership with their patient.…

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CEO update – Spreading good practice

One thing we seem very good at in the MSK world is identifying examples of good practice. The NHSE/ARMA regional events have showcased a raft of excellent initiatives which make better use of NHS resources whilst also improving patient care. What is often harder to achieve is spreading that good practice.

Last week I attended a conference on delivering sustainable healthcare, which focused on why this is so difficult and what we can do to improve it. All very relevant to MSK improvement.…

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Portsmouth Department of Rheumatology dancing class

Fourteen patients and their partners and staff from the Department of Rheumatology are about to complete their 6-week ballroom class. Over the weeks they will have taken an additional 12,000 steps and exercised for around extra 5.5 hours.

Claire Jeffries, Rheumatology Specialist, Physiotherapist and Hydrotherapy Manager, points out that there are many health benefits of dancing: “it’s great for people of all ages, shapes and sizes”.

Dancing offers a wide range of physical and mental benefits:

  • improved condition of your heart and lungs
  • increased muscular tone, strength, endurance and motor fitness
  • increased aerobic fitness
  • weight management
  • stronger bones and reduced risk of osteoporosis
  • better coordination, balance, agility and flexibility
  • increased physical confidence
  • improved mental functioning and psychological wellbeing
  • greater self-confidence and self-esteem

The Department of Rheumatology would encourage people living with Arthritis and connective tissue diseases to consider dance as a form of activity.…

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DaM-it Arthritis Family Fun Day at Center Parcs Longleat

A fun-packed day for all

On Sunday 22nd October 2017, the Department of Rheumatology staff hosted more than fifteen tables for children’s games and crafts – f rom Dominos, colouring to ghostly table lights, and homemade first aid kits – whilst Dads and Mums living with arthritis and connective tissues attended a number of short presentations aimed at providing help and advice:

  • Strategies for coping with a diagnosis and moving forward
  • How to manage family life work and arthritis and connective tissue diseases
  • Incorporating the benefits for staying active and eating healthily

The DaM-it Arthritis project is funded through the Department of Rheumatology’s charitable funds and non-conditional educational grants, offering free events to support the community of Dads and Mums affected by Arthritis and Connective Tissue Diseases and their families.…

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