Author: Garreth

NICE guideline on workplace health

Workplace health: long-term sickness absence and capability to work

NICE published this final guideline on the NICE website. You can also find the supporting evidence, tools and resources as well as all the stakeholder comments NICE received during consultation and the responses to these comments.

The recommendations from this guideline have been included in the NICE Pathway on Managing long-term sickness absence and capability to work, which brings together everything NICE said on Workplace health: long-term sickness absence and capability to work in an interactive flowchart.…

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Physical Activity publications

Readers of this newsletter will all be aware that physical activity is essential for musculoskeletal health. Every month we seem to report new publications on the subject. This month is no exception: two recent publications highlight the challenges and propose some solutions.

Researchers have studied adolescents’ activity levels in 146 countries and found that more than 80% are not meeting the recommended levels of activity. In the UK in 2016, more than 85% of girls were not active enough, and neither were almost 75% of boys.…

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Medical Devices Regulation and waiting times

Medical Devices Regulation from 2020

On 26 May 2017 the Medical Devices Regulation (MDR 2017/745) was published, with the aim of replacing the current Medical Devices Directive (MDD 93/43/EC). Following a transition period of three years, this regulation will be applied in full from 26 May 2020.

The BOA has recently published its position statement on the MDR. They welcome the drive to improve the rigour and regulation of novel devices and procedures for the benefit of patients. However, the BOA raises some particular concerns with regard to legacy devices, regulation of different types of device, value of registry data in evaluating devices and long term monitoring.…

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Versus Arthritis: responses to consultations

Versus Arthritis have made available their responses to recent consultations and governmental health proposals.

In particular, you can read November’s response to the HM Government consultation ‘Advancing our health: prevention in the 2020s’, and the joint submission document, sent alongside other charities and health organisations, to highlight the urgent need for increased, sustainable public health funding.

Visit the Versus Arthritis Consultation Responses page.

Fibromyalgia survey for healthcare professionals

Can you help us improve healthcare for people with fibromyalgia in the UK?

Professor Gary Macfarlane and Dr Rosemary Hollick of the PACFiND study team are looking for healthcare professionals who see patients with fibromyalgia to take part in a short online survey.

This survey will help PACFiND understand current provision of NHS services for people with fibromyalgia.

PACFiND (PAtient-centred Care for Fibromyalgia: New pathway Design) is a project aimed at developing new pathways of care for people with fibromyalgia. 

Please click here to complete this survey.…

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NICE: Guselkumab for treating active psoriatic arthritis

Draft Scope Consultation

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has been asked to consider an appraisal of guselkumab for treating active psoriatic arthritis after inadequate response to DMARDs ID1658.

NICE invited organisations to take part in the consultation to discuss the draft remit and scope. The organisations selected as stakeholders are listed here and the draft scope that is being consulted on can be found here.

The consultation closes on Wednesday 18 December 2019. If you have any queries regarding this scoping exercise or would like to be involved you can contact Michelle Adhemar, Scoping Project Manager at scopingta@nice.org.uk…

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Edgar Stene Prize Competition 2020 – EULAR

The late Edgar Stene, who had severe ankylosing spondylitis, was a great promoter of co-operation between doctors, patients and community workers. The EULAR Edgar Stene Prize Competition runs yearly in his memory and honour. First prize is € 1,000 and the winner will be invited to attend the EULAR Congress in Frankfurt. Second prize is €700 and third prize is €300.

The 2020 prize will be awarded to the winning essay on the topic:

“Being a person with a rheumatic or musculoskeletal disease (RMD) – How my voluntary work benefits me”

The EULAR Edgar Stene Prize 2020 competition is open to people 18 years and over who are living with a rheumatic and musculoskeletal (RMD) disease.…

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10th Annual ARMA Lecture 2019

No Health Without Mental Health: Why mental health is all of our business
by Brendon Stubbs

20 November 2019

Our annual lecture 2019 explored the links between MSK and mental health, the implications for how we commission and design services and how we work with individual patients. Everyone has a role to play because mental health is all of our business. Brendon Stubbs is Head of Physiotherapy, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation trust and NIHR Clinical Lecturer, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London.…

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Welcome to the National Axial Spondyloarthrititis Society

by Jenny Brodie, Senior Communications & Brand Officer, NASS

Today (01/11/2019) we re-launch our charity as the National Axial Spondyloarthritis Society.

For 43 years the NASS has supported people affected by ankylosing spondylitis. Rheumatologists can now diagnose people using MRI before the disease causes bone changes so treatment can start a lot earlier. They now use the term axial spondyloarthritis (axial SpA), which includes ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

This summer our members voted unanimously in favour of changing our name to reflect these changes.…

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We must give future generations the gift of healthy ageing

Guest blog by Dr Alison Giles, Associate Director for Healthy Ageing, Centre for Ageing Better and Public Health England; and Elaine Rashbrook, Consultant Specialist, Life Course, Public Health England.

In October this year, Public Health England (PHE), together with the Centre for Ageing Better (CfAB) launched the Consensus Statement on Healthy Ageing.  Over 70 organisations, including ARMA, have signed up and pledged to take action on the five principles set out in the Statement.

The average age at which people report a health condition or disability that interferes with daily life is just 62. …

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