Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance
Influencing policy and care together for best lifelong musculoskeletal health
On 7 November 2020, NASS will be hosting a new event for any affected by axial SpA (AS).
Physio in Focus will be run entirely by physiotherapists and in partnership with AStretch. Please do share this with your patients. We also welcome attendance from physiotherapists who would like to engage further with NASS and AStretch.
Landmark parliamentary debate highlights the NASS campaign for faster diagnosis time for thousands of people with axial (SpA)
On 17 September, a parliamentary debate on axial SpA (AS) was a landmark moment in the campaign to reduce diagnosis times and improve the care for thousands of people living with axial SpA (AS).
The debate was led by Tom Randall MP, who lives with axial SpA (AS) and shared with the House his personal experience of a delay to diagnosis, including being passed from one health care professional to another, before finally receiving the correct diagnosis.…
Read more of this article
Last month’s newsletter included a blog about how NHS England/Improvement is working in partnership with people with lived experience of MSK conditions to “co-produce” work on MSK services. In September, over fifty people joined our tweet chat on co-production. In the course of an hour, professionals and people with MSK conditions engaged in lively discussion and debate about what helps coproduction, what gets in the way and good examples in practice. A summary of the discussion has now been published.
Coproduction means that all involved feel engaged in a collaborative healthcare approach with a shared commitment to quality, where everyone is treated with respect and dignity and everyone feels that their needs matter.…
Read more of this article
The NHS Change Challenge used crowdsourcing to identify almost 200 initiatives introduced during lockdown which proved beneficial. The project is now working to write these up in more detail so that we can publish them back onto the site for further comments and discussion. Due to the overwhelming responses received, the focus initially is on writing up the highest-scoring ideas based on impact and feasibility within each challenge area.
The first two ideas have been published on the site. Keep checking for further ideas which will be published over the next few weeks.
The Patients Association has published a report of patient experiences of Covid-19. The results show the massive toll on all patients of the coronavirus pandemic and the emergency measures taken in response to it. Some patients reported good ongoing care, and were impressed by the way their local communities came together to support them.
The report contains recommendations for the next phase of the emergency response, and also a call for the health and care system to be built back better after the pandemic: the current emergency footing cannot be the basis for the ongoing relationship between patients and the NHS.…
Read more of this article
NICE has published the final guidelines on Low back pain and sciatica in over 16s: assessment and management. Supporting evidence, tools and resources as well as all the stakeholder comments are available. NICE said the comments were invaluable in refining the guidelines. NICE produced an equality impact assessment too.
NICE included the recommendations of this guidelines in the NICE Pathway on Low back pain and sciatica in over 16s: assessment and management. There is an interactive flowchart which brings everything together from the guideline.…
Read more of this article
Friday 9 October 2020, 12.30 – 1.30pm
Men with Axial SpA are more likely than women to experience changes to the bones and fusion, and thus they can be picked up using x-ray. Women are more likely than men to experience inflammation rather than fusion, which is visible on MRI but not on x-ray.
This Bone and Joint Week, 12-20 October 2020, good musculoskeletal health is now more important than ever. Whether you have a musculoskeletal condition, or you’re a commissioner, GP, health professional or employer, find resources on this page for help with musculoskeletal health.
People with bone, joint and muscle conditions (musculoskeletal conditions)
Arthritis Action: https://www.arthritisaction.org.uk
CCAA Kids with Arthritis: https://www.ccaa.org.uk/
Ehlers Danlos Support UK: www.ehlers-danlos.org…
Read more of this article
Lead Sponsor
30 November 2020
Venue: online
This one-day conference is a special multi-disciplinary virtual event with speakers you’ll enjoy listening to on working across boundaries, BAME communities, partnership with patients and pain care.
A conference with a difference – we also have ‘provocation’ talks – designed to get a reaction and perhaps thinking outside the box. NHS leaders are attending the event and there will be a virtual networking space and an exhibition too.…
Read more of this article
Arthritis Action will hold their latest webinar “Unlocking Exercise Webinar: Barriers and Benefits – Eating Well, Thinking Positively, and Getting Stronger” on Wednesday 30th September, 11:00am – 12:00pm.
The webinar will explore a holistic approach to restarting exercise and preventing the loss of strength and function, for people living with arthritis. The charity’s expert panel will cover the barriers and benefits to exercise, including; immunity, independence, community engagement and mental wellbeing.
There will also be a live Q&A on the topic at the end of the webinar.…
Read more of this article
