Arthritis News

Arthritis UK Effective consultations course

Effective consultations: examination, diagnosis, and management of musculoskeletal presentations

Wednesday 3^rd February 2027, 8:45am to 5pm
(in-person event)

Strengthen your MSK consultation skills in this full‑day, interactive course for primary care. Develop clear, decluttered approaches to assessment, diagnosis, and communication across common presentations. Focusing on back, shoulder and knee, this day includes hands‑on workshops, practical skill‑building, resources, and 7 CPD points. Ideal for anyone undertaking MSK consultations in busy clinical settings.

More details and booking.

ORUK’s ninth start-up investment

ORUK makes its ninth investment in an MSK start-up

Orthopaedic Research UK (ORUK) is one of the organisations providing seed funding for Vitalis Ortho, an early-stage MSK business developing a regenerative intervention for knee osteoarthritis. This the ninth MSK start-up in which ORUK has invested. The team from Vitalis Ortho were part of ORUK’s most recent MSK Innovation Accelerator, a programme delivered by the MedTech SuperConnector at Imperial to develop the next generation of MSK entrepreneurs. At the end of this programme, participants pitch to ORUK’s Investment Committee for pre-seed and seed funding of around £100k.…

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Arthritis UK report calls for improved arthritis diagnosis

As part of Arthritis Awareness Month, Arthritis UK has launched a report, ‘The Silent Treatment: Why an Arthritis Diagnosis Matters‘, to bring together insights from people with arthritis and health professionals to highlight the barriers faced in achieving a timely and personalised diagnosis for arthritis conditions.

Without a diagnosis, people are without vital treatment and support that can have a long-term impact on their condition. Crucially, for people with arthritis, a diagnosis provides validation and the relief of finally being seen.…

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BCA hosts parliamentary roundtable

Strengthening chiropractic’s role in UK healthcare

On 3 June 2026, the British Chiropractic Association (BCA) hosted a parliamentary roundtable, bringing together Members of Parliament, Peers, BCA members, and representatives from healthcare charities to explore the evolving role of chiropractic within the UK’s healthcare system. The discussion centred around how chiropractic can contribute more effectively to the wider healthcare workforce, particularly within the framework of Allied Health Professions (AHPs).

Addressing Growing Pressure on MSK Services

A key focus of the roundtable was the increasing strain on musculoskeletal (MSK) services across the UK.…

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A new Health Secretary. A new opportunity for MSK health?

by Adrian Bradley, CEO, Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance (ARMA)

May 2026

Like many people working across health and care, I watched the latest ministerial changes with mixed feelings. A new Health Secretary always brings uncertainty. Priorities can shift, momentum can be lost, relationships need to be rebuilt, but moments like this also create opportunity.

For those of us working to improve musculoskeletal (MSK) health, a new Health Secretary is a chance to make a simple but important case: MSK health must become a national priority.…

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ORUK’s Funding for MSK start-ups

Orthopaedic Research UK (ORUK) is offering up to £100k through the Ronald Furlong Fund to support early‑stage startups working on practical, evidence‑based solutions in musculoskeletal health.

Named in honour of the charity’s founder, who combined successful careers as an orthopaedic surgeon and entrepreneur, the Fund is designed to help entrepreneurs accelerate innovative and commercially viable ideas that solve the unmet needs of society around bone, joint and muscle wellbeing.

ORUK has investments in seven early stage MSK businesses, some of whom applied through the Ronald Furlong Fund.…

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Joint Venture MSK Innovation website

ORUK launches website for Joint Venture MSK innovation initiative

Following a series of successful events under the Joint Venture label, Orthopaedic Research UK (ORUK) has launched a dedicated website for the Joint Venture MSK Innovation initiative.

Joint Venture is a community of innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers, investors and others interested in driving innovation and entrepreneurship within MSK health. It is designed to create a forum for debate, a force for positive change (especially in tackling systemic barriers to innovation), an incubator of new ideas and tangible solutions and a dynamic and supportive network.…

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One set of Standards for Regulators including BASRaT

BASRaT has welcomed the news that the PSA is introducing a single set of Regulation Standards to apply to both Accredited Registers and Statutory Regulators. This aligns the standards for BASRaT with regulators including the GMC and HCPC.

The Professional Standards Authority (PSA) is the UK’s independent regulatory oversight body. Working with the PSA, BASRaT regulates and guides Sport Rehabilitators on their role and responsibilities ensuring professional competency and development.

ICBs ration surgeries with BMI thresholds

Arthritis UK Urges ICBs to Scrap BMI Threshold Policies Used to Ration Surgeries

Almost a fifth of ICBs in England are rationing joint replacement surgery based on a person’s BMI, an approach that contradicts NICE guidance for the diagnosis and management of osteoarthritis.

These policies vary across England, creating a postcode lottery where patients may be denied access to life-changing treatment based on where they live rather than clinical need. Many patients are also required to lose weight before surgery but are not given access to the weight management services needed to do so.…

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ARMA Welcomes the Neighbourhood health framework

NHS England Policy Paper

Neighbourhood health framework

Published 17 March 2026

We welcome the new Neighbourhood Health Framework because it moves neighbourhood health in the right direction.

It sees neighbourhood health as more than NHS reconfiguration.
It supports a prevention-first model.
It values continuity, co-ordination and multidisciplinary care.
It connects health to wider outcomes such as work, independence and participation.

That is close to ARMA’s vision of putting the NHS in the context of the places and communities it serves, not treating health as something created by services alone.…

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