Arthritis News | ARMA

Recent publications on health inequalities

There have been a number of publications and toolkits on health inequalities published in recent weeks. These are not MSK-specific but will include useful information, data and resources for those working in MSK.

Illustrating the relationship between poverty and NHS services is a long read from the Kings Fund.

Health inequalities in 2040
Current and projected patterns of illness by deprivation in England.
The Health Foundation lists chronic pain as one of the 4 conditions projected to increase at a faster rate in more deprived areas.…

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FSEM Diploma in Team care

Are you looking for a qualification that demonstrates your knowledge and clinical application knowledge in athlete and team care?

Sport and Exercise Medicine, including the skills and research coming from Team Care or Sport Medicine has a large-scale application for public health and the NHS. Team Care involves the medical care of injury and illness in sport and exercise. It requires accurate diagnoses, careful clinical examination, experience and knowledge of sport and exercise specific movement patterns.

The Diploma in Team care sets the standard for team care knowledge across sport and exercise medicine.…

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New Oliver Bird Funding for MSK

£6 million of research funding to improve the lives of people living with musculoskeletal conditions.

The Nuffield Foundation, in partnership with Versus Arthritis, has announced £6 million for new research funding to improve the well-being of people living with musculoskeletal conditions in the UK, with a focus outside clinical settings. Applications for the Oliver Bird Fund can consider any stage in the life course; those challenging ethnic, income, gender and other inequalities are particularly welcome, and the Foundation encourages applications from teams across all four UK nations.…

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Refer a patient to NRAS

The National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS) know the immense pressure faced by rheumatology healthcare teams. Let NRAS be the extra team member you need, by introducing your patients to Right Start.

NRAS works in partnership with the NHS to offer its information and support services to patients who have rheumatoid arthritis (RA). As a Health Professional, all you have to do is submit a quick form to refer your patient to NRAS and they take care of the rest!

Act Now Report on MSK Health Inequalities and Deprivation

This week ARMA published the Act Now report of the Inquiry on Musculoskeletal Health Inequalities and Deprivation.

The report highlights the impact of social and economic determinants of health on those living with MSK conditions. People with MSK conditions in more deprived areas develop conditions earlier, have more complex cases, yet face far greater challenges in managing their MSK conditions and accessing quality MSK services.

Act Now aims to address the drivers of poor musculoskeletal health acting on people living in deprivation and crucially it brings a focus to the part health services across the UK can play to address inequalities.…

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Welsh Government Consultation: Arthritis and MSK Framework

The Welsh Government has opened a consultation on the draft guidance document, Living with arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions: a framework for the future.

The new framework is one of several tools that will guide service development and delivery for MSK conditions from 2024 to 2028.

The consultation is seeking views to shape the vision, mission and strategy for improving services for people with MSK conditions in Wales and is open for responses until 8th April 2024.

Visit the consultation website for more information or to submit a response.

Of course we can

by Sue Brown, CEO ARMA

The majority of people with an MSK condition will rarely, if ever, need secondary care for that condition. All of them will need primary and community care. This is where people access MSK rehab, self-management support and a wide variety of treatment. Yet the main focus of the NHS remains hospitals. It’s what politicians talk about, what the media covers and where the majority of the attention of local systems focuses.

The King’s Fund has just published a report, Making Care Closer to Home a Reality, outlining why this problem occurs and some possible solutions.…

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NRAS Live: NEIAA 5 years on

Join the monthly NRAS Live on Wednesday 28^th February. This month, Clare will be in discussion with Professor James Galloway, who will be presenting 5 years of the National Early Inflammatory Arthritis Audit (NEIAA). James is the Analytics Lead for the NEIAA and an Academic Rheumatologist, Senior Lecturer at King’s College London. There will be a panel discussion as to what five years of data gathering has brought to light, what’s changed over the years and how such national audits drive improvements in patient care.…

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National Voices’ Manifesto for Equitable Healthcare

In what is very likely to be an election year, National Voices have shared their Manifesto for Equitable Healthcare – which puts forth three general election priorities.

Co-produced with National Voices’ members, the manifesto is supported by a common theme – ensuring that the NHS works for all, not just those who know how to navigate the system or who come from more privileged backgrounds.

The manifesto seeks to remind politicians that adopting these priorities will not just improve things for patients but will also help drive NHS stability and wider economic benefits.…

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Societal Inequalities and Disparities in Pain Management

The latest Airing Pain Podcast, Societal Inequalities and Disparities in Pain Management, is available now.

This edition investigates the significant inequalities and disparities in treatment among primary care pain management services.
Does gender, ethnicity, disability and locality affect access and quality of pain care?

Listen now.

Taking part in this discussion:

Professor Jonathan Hill is the Director of Research for the School of Allied Health Professionals, and a Professor of Physiotherapy, in the Keele School of Medicine;
Dr Ama Kissie is a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Ghent and a Clinical Psychologist;
Dr Whitney Scott is a clinical psychologist who lectures at Kings College London and is the research lead at the INPUT Pain Management Unit at Guy’s & St Thomas’ Hospital.

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