Arthritis News | ARMA

New resources for leaders to work together around the NHS Long Term Plan

The Institute for Voluntary Action Research (IVAR) has developed free support resources for health, care and voluntary sector leaders who want to drive action through partnership working around the NHS Long Term Plan. The resources include online learning, webinars, workshops, coaching and individual support and are aimed at ICS/STP leads, commissioners, clinicians, and professionals from the voluntary sector.

The NHS Long Term Plan commits local healthcare systems to working in a new way, including a focus on prevention and reducing health inequalities.…

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Guest Blog: Active Hospitals – OUH SEM Pilot

The Oxford University Hospitals Foundation Trust Pilot

By Dr Christopher Speers, Sport and Exercise Medicine Consultant Oxford University Hospitals Foundation Trust

Physical inactivity is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide¹ and it contributes significantly to the worldwide burden of non-communicable disease^{2, 3}. Hospitals, historically, have been dominated by a culture of rest⁴. Promoting rest contradicts the evidence which clearly demonstrates that disease outcomes are better for moving more and that post hospital syndrome, or hospital deconditioning, leads to increased risk and adverse outcomes^{5, 6}.…

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A stronger voice for MSK

CEO update by Sue Brown

March has been a very impactful month for ARMA. My highlight was probably the ARMA roundtable on mental health. The statistics about incidence of mental health amongst people with musculoskeletal conditions don’t surprise me. It’s obvious why long-term pain and difficulty moving would go along with high levels of depression and anxiety. What surprises me is how little support people get with their mental well-being and that’s something ARMA is determined to change.

ARMA members will be discussing what they want to do next on mental health at this week’s members meeting.…

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Evidence into Practice Challenge 2019

Evidence into Practice – Finding the next big idea

Do you have an evidence-based idea to change clinical practice? Apply to the Evidence into Practice Challenge, a call to healthcare professionals and researchers in the West of England.

Evidence-based ideas are sought for initiatives or projects to improve healthcare. The West of England AHSN will work closely with chosen applicants and recompense time for activity that supports the adoption and spread of the initiative.

Karen Luyt, a neonatologist at University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, responded to the first call five years ago.…

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Ration Watch – Surgery

ARMA has been working with the Medical Technology Group (MTG) to raise concerns about increasing rationing of joint replacement surgery.

The MTG is a coalition of patient groups, research charities and medical device manufacturers working to improve access to cost effective medical technologies for everyone who needs them. MTG has concerns about treatment rationing in general and have launched the Ration Watch campaign to highlight care inequality and the impact it has on patients’ lives.

Ration Watch aims to expose the scale of rationing and the issues around local commissioning across the UK.…

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ARMA Mental Health Roundtable

In March, ARMA held a roundtable on mental health. We brought together people from the mental and MSK health sectors, both voluntary and statutory to hear presentations from Arthritis Action, NHS England’s Head of Mental Health, a patient perspective and the Haringey IAPT service.

Improving Access to Psychological Therapies) is designed to support people with depression and anxiety but has recently been rolled out to include long term conditions. In Haringey this includes MSK pain. People are offered a range of different psychological support such as individual Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), guided self help, groups, computerised CBT.…

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Aids and Adaptations parliamentary drop-in update

Unfortunately, owing to a planned strike by security staff at Westminster, the Versus Arthritis parliamentary drop-in on aids and adaptations on Wednesday 20 March was cancelled.

This is obviously very disappointing, for Versus Arthritis and campaigners, as we know how important it is for MPs to recognise the impact that aids and adaptations can have for people with arthritis. MPs have been informed and Versus Arthritis is currently working to reschedule the event. VA has also been in touch with the hundreds of supporters who contacted their MPs.…

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NASS delivers inaugural meeting of the first ever APPG on AS

Last week saw a momentous event for people living with axial SpA (AS) in the UK, when NASS held the inaugural meeting of the first ever all-party parliamentary group (APPG) specifically for Axial Spondyloarthritis. Parliamentarians, policy makers, clinicians, healthcare commissioners and NASS members and staff came together to identify and address concerns about AS care.

You can read NASS CEO Dr Dale Webb’s reflections on the meeting and more of what’s to come from NASS’ Every Patient, Every Time campaign.

RCN Rheumatology Nursing Workshop 2019

Advances, innovations and challenges in rheumatology nursing

Friday 28 June 2019, RCN HQ, London

The RCN Rheumatology Nursing Workshop 2019 event includes talks on ‘Understanding vasculitis and impact on inflammatory arthritis patients’ and ‘Understanding the JAK pathway – a new mode of action for rheumatology’.

By attending this workshop you will:

hear from leading experts on current issues and challenges facing rheumatology
practitioners
gain an in-depth understanding of emerging drug therapies and the importance of drug monitoring
advance your knowledge and skills to deliver and promote excellence in care

Click here for the delegate booking form.

Core Skills in Musculoskeletal Care workshop

Thursday, 14 March 2019, in London

The workshop has been developed by GPs for GPs, and is aimed at furthering your practical skills to encourage best-practice MSK care with your patients. It includes a range of interactive, practical workshops focused on building expertise in MSK care.

The course is worth 12 CPD points if completed alongside the e-learning course.
The cost is £130+ VAT and delegates can sign up at www.coreskillsinmsk.co.uk.