Guest blog: Best MSK Health for London

What is the roadmap for improving musculoskeletal health in London?

Personal view from Ian Bernstein, Clinical Director for Musculoskeletal Health, NHS England and NHS Improvement, London Region.

The Best MSK Health collaborative at NHS England brings together providers and people with lived experience to “enable best MSK health for all”. [1] The programme formally launched in February 2021 as we were riding the second COVID wave; and the timing is significant.  We have known for many years that musculoskeletal problems are the largest cause of years lived with a disability in the UK.…

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Bone and Joint Week 2021 Resources

Resources for MSK

If you work for an ICS, PCN or provider organisation
MSK healthcare professionals
  • Join the NHS Futures Best MSK Health forum;
  • Make sure people with MSK know about peer support from patient groups.


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International opportunities and global standards

Members of BASRaT will soon be able to work abroad thanks to the new international arrangement between ARTI Ireland, BASRaTorg, BOCATC US and CATA Canada.

The agreement will enhance skills, practices and education standards of sport rehabilitators and athletic trainers in the UK, Canada, America and Ireland due to the agreement ensuring comparable best practices, quality education and professional standards.

The international agreement for the profession of athletic training and therapy plays a key role in optimising care, injury prevention, rehabilitation and supporting the rights of patients and the public to achieve their potential to live well.…

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Long COVID and Post-COVID-19 Syndrome training

e-Learning for Healthcare has published a national training session providing an introduction to long COVID, looking at its definition, common symptoms, investigations as well as the impact it has on adults and children.

The session is aimed at all clinical staff in the NHS in England, particularly those in primary and community care. Dr Ian Bernstein, Director of Medical Education led the team of authors from Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust.

The programme can be accessed from the e-lfh.org.uk website; scroll down to the ‘View’ button.

Tackling health inequalities: a framework for AHPs

The King’s Fund has worked with AHPs from across the UK to consider their contribution to tackling health inequalities. A framework based on the findings, to which the The Institute of Osteopathy has contributed, has now been published. It includes examples of work in health inequalities, including a service provided by osteopaths in South London.

Read the article My role in tackling health inequalities: a framework for allied health professionals on the King’s Fund website.

iO – Choose Osteopathy

Do you know people who are interested in pursuing a career in osteopathy? The Institute of Osteopathy provides the opportunity to discuss available study options with leading osteopathic educational institutions.

Have you been thinking about pursuing a career in healthcare? 

Are you interested in people and how the body works? 

Are you passionate about improving people’s overall health and wellness? 

If so, then a career in osteopathy could be for you!

Find out all there is to know about becoming an osteopath on the iO’s Choose Osteopathy page.

HMSA support groups for August

As you know, the pandemic restrictions have been lifted, but as far as the HMSA group meetings are concerned, HMSA is not ready to risk physical groups as yet, so all local HMSA meetings will still be virtually for a while longer. Given the virtual meetings have given so many more people access to this type of support, even when physical meetings do re-start, they will be combined with virtual meetings, so everyone gets a chance to attend.

The dates for the support groups for August are listed below.…

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Petition hand-in for joint replacement surgery across all UK governments

Over the last year Versus Arthritis has been running a petition to promote the campaign for urgent government action to bring down waiting times and ensure people waiting for joint replacement surgery get the support they need. 46,000 people have now signed the petition.

On Wednesday 21 July, the Impossible to Ignore petition was submitted to all UK Governments. Versus Arthritis went to the Department of Health and Social Care in Westminster, and delivered it virtually to governments in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.…

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BASRaT edited BJSM issue

July’s edition of British Journal of Sports Medicine is edited by BASRAT Chief Executive, Steve Aspinall and references ARMA

BJSM’s July issue is an invaluable read.  Edited by BASRaT Chief Executive, Steve Aspinall, Steve focusses on both treating the patient in front of you and the power of language: integrating research into effective clinical practice.

“In a year of great turmoil and hardship for the vast majority of society, it has also been a time for organisations, professional associations and healthcare bodies to come together, working to bring about positive change and give everybody, regardless of who or where they are, the right to rehabilitation.

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NRAS and University of Oxford Study

The COVID-19 pandemic has seen organisations of all shapes, sizes and purposes, adapting to changes brought on by the virus. The National Health Service (NHS) is no different and has found itself undergoing dramatic changes, at pace, in its service provision. One of the major changes introduced very rapidly when the pandemic struck, was the move from face-to-face appointments to remote consultations by phone or video to reduce infection rates.

oxford survey icons

It seems clear that some of these changes are here to stay and rheumatology teams are now working hard to determine which patients require a face-to-face appointment and identifying those who are suitable for a remote consultation. …

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