In January 2023, NHS England published “an improvement framework to reduce community musculoskeletal waits while delivering best outcomes and experience”.
Integrated high quality community musculoskeletal (MSK) services are integral to a productive, high-performing healthcare system supporting the management of MSK conditions. Most people with MSK conditions can be diagnosed and well managed in the community through programmes like ESCAPE-pain.
A smaller number require timely referral to secondary care orthopaedic, rheumatology, spinal or pain management services to enable best outcomes.
Most community MSK services have a triage function to support diagnosis and optimise referrals, and/or a therapies function to rehabilitate those who have sustained an injury or are recovering from surgery, as well as to help people best manage long-term MSK conditions.…
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£1.94 million has been awarded by the Nuffield Foundation’s Oliver Bird Fund and Versus Arthritis to support research to improve wellbeing among people living with MSK conditions. Awards have been made to six teams across five universities.
The Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine UK is now open to applications from doctors and allied health professionals who wish to take the 
The National Workforce Implementation Plan outlines a series of practical actions that will act as enablers to accelerate the ten-year Workforce Strategy published in 2020. The Plan highlights a number of actions that need to progress immediately to address some of the most urgent pressures within the NHS now. Plans for specific professions and services like nursing, dentistry, or pharmacy will be published over the next two years.
It’s no secret that the NHS is on its knees and struggling to cope with many pressures, some linked to the pandemic such as backlogs, some to other issues such as workforce shortages and inability to discharge patients from hospital. As a consequence, there are changes happening to delivery of outpatient care and it’s essential that those living with a long-term condition learn to manage their disease/s as well as possible and make the most of the very small amount of time in a year that might be spent with a rheumatology team.… 
Orthopaedic Research UK aims to fill the most important gaps in research funding in bone, joint and muscle well-being. They fund innovative research projects in the UK that expand knowledge, improve patient outcomes and pioneer new forms of diagnosis and treatment. 
Arthritis Action has launched the first series of its Arthritis Action podcast. The podcast covers a wide range of topics to help people living with arthritis, and those caring for them. In each episode, we will talk to members of the charity, various experts and healthcare professionals.
Orthopaedic Research UK and the Royal College of Podiatry have produced a series of podcasts called Serial Casting. The series explores collaboration and team building between podiatrists and other healthcare professionals including orthotists, physiotherapists, orthopaedic surgeons and others, all in the interests of our patients.