Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance
Influencing policy and care together for best lifelong musculoskeletal health
Innovative multi-professional student placement project shows positive outcomes
A pilot in Allied Health Professions student placements, funded by Health Education England and facilitated by the Institute of Osteopathy, has shown how an innovative interprofessional approach can deliver positive outcomes for students and educators, ultimately facilitating improved patient outcomes through the delivery of multi-disciplinary care.
Read more on the iO website.
NOA Webinar: Learning from never events and serious incidents (SUIs)
The next National Orthopaedic Alliance (NOA) webinar will take place on 25 May 2022 at 1pm via Zoom. The session will focus on learning from never events and serious incidents.
Note from editor: the representatives from the CQC are no longer able to speak at this event.
Never events and serious incidents are a cause for concern and anxiety when reported in an organisation. They require investigation and official reporting. The end result should be a process of open multidisciplinary analysis and discussion led by the Clinical Governance team that results in learning for the organisation.…
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A new report More than Skin Deep: The Underlying Burdens of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis has been published, setting out the challenges currently faced by people living with these chronic, interlinked conditions, and providing a number of key recommendations for improving services.
The report, aimed at policymakers, healthcare professionals and NHS commissioners, has been informed by the input of an expert working group, including leading clinicians from dermatology and rheumatology, as well as representatives from the Psoriasis Association and Versus Arthritis.…
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CSP publishes new UK-wide Musculoskeletal physiotherapy service standards
In January 2022 a new set of Musculoskeletal (MSK) physiotherapy service standards were launched by the CSP. The standards focus on the delivery of physiotherapy for any services managing MSK conditions within any part of the MSK pathway in the UK. They are applicable in any setting, for adults of 16 years and over, requiring physiotherapy for a MSK condition, their families and carers, and across multidisciplinary integrated care.
The eight standards and accompanying quality measures are intended as a tool for services to demonstrate the value of MSK physiotherapy services as part of the whole MSK pathway, with the aim to drive continuous quality improvement. …
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Guest blog by Dr Arash Angadji, Chief Executive, Orthopaedic Research UK
I was talking to a PhD student who has recently received one of our fellowship grants to research the use of statistical modelling to help better predict patient outcomes, who told me, ‘I am part of that generation that has grown up with computers, so It feels natural to ask how we can we exploit this technology. We are all getting more on board with the idea of smart technology and wearable devices and questioning why we are not applying these technologies to our patients.’…
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NASS is calling for first contact practitioners, GPs, community MSK physiotherapists and other NHS primary and community care professionals to apply for the opportunity to join their brand-new Champions in Primary Care programme.
Successful applicants will work together with NASS to help end diagnostic delay in axial spondyloarthritis (axial SpA). Those selected to join the two-year development programme will receive leadership development support, training in the theory and methods of quality improvement and assistance with identifying and implementing improvement projects which they will test and refine.…
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Looking differently at leisure places as spaces for chronic pain managementby Ben Wilkins, CEO, Good Boost
15.5 million people in England live with chronic pain. Approximately 5.5 million (12% of the population) have high-impact chronic pain, where pain makes it an on-going challenge to take part in daily activities (Versus Arthritis, 2021). The main contributing factor for 8-in-10 people living with chronic pain are musculoskeletal conditions, such as osteoarthritis, back and neck pain. For people living with this, it’s not just a ‘ache in your back’ or a ‘twinge in your knee’, it’s an unrelenting and all-consuming part of everyday life.…
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Registration is now open for the second sitting of FSEM’s Diploma in Musculoskeletal Medicine exam, aimed at doctors and allied health professionals looking to evidence their competency across the breadth of MSK care.
Developed jointly by the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine (UK) and the Primary Care Rheumatology & Musculoskeletal Medicine Society (PCRMM), the examination and associated qualification recognises excellence in MSK care and provides a benchmark of quality for both service commissioners and patients.
This Diploma will support evidencing competency as a GP or GP Working in Extended Role, as well as allied health professionals working towards advanced practice roles (including first contact practitioner and advanced practitioners in primary care) in a range of community settings.…
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As Plan B ends in England and the other nations in the UK remove different aspects of COVID protections, the news is all of learning to live with the virus and getting back to normal. For very many people with MSK conditions this is not the experience. Whether it is people facing long waits for treatment or people taking medication that puts them at increased risk, living with the virus and its consequences is harder for some.
As Plan B ends, ARMA members’ helplines are again flooded with calls from people who are immunosuppressed, worried about their needs being forgotten again.…
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In her most recent blog about the changes in the healthcare landscape caused by the pandemic, our National Patient Champion, Ailsa Bosworth MBE reflects on how these changes will impact on the care of people with RA and Adult JIA. She considers how it has become even more important for those with these autoimmune conditions to be able to learn about their disease and acquire skills and coping strategies to enable better supported self-management, and Ailsa explains how NRAS can help with this.…
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