Category: Arthritis News

Engagement and involvement in tough NHS decisions

National Voices has written an open letter to the Chief Executive of NHS England, Simon Stevens, expressing concern that decisions to ration treatments and services will be made behind closed doors, with people not listened to.

The Autumn Budget 2017 did not deliver the funding increases that health and social care need. In subsequent statements, a number of NHS leaders have suggested the need for tough decisions about what can be afforded by – and expected of – the NHS.…

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New Self-Management Event in Warrington

Arthritis Action will be holding a new two-day Self-Management Event (SME) on Friday 9 February at 6pm–8.30pm and Saturday 10 February at 2pm–4.30pm.

For the first time we are holding our SME outside our usual daytime schedule, to attract a younger audience of attendees who may be in employment or otherwise unavailable during the week.

We aim to help our delegates take control of the symptoms of their arthritis, covering topics such as:

  • The impact of physical therapies
  • How you can best manage your pain
  • The benefits of exercise and a healthy diet
  • Ways to work in partnership with healthcare professionals

This event will be free of charge but places must be booked, via this link.…

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Update to Ealing MSK JSNA chapter

The London Borough of Ealing and NHS Ealing CCG published their update to the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) chapter on Musculoskeletal Health in December 2017. The JSNA is a statutory document that describes the health and social care needs of the population, identifies gaps and unmet needs, and makes evidence-based recommendations to health and social care commissioners.

Two versions have been published.  A visually appealing ‘Focus on’ Musculoskeletal Health chapter provides a compact, easy-to-navigate review, and is essential reading for commissioners and providers of musculoskeletal services:

http://www.ealingccg.nhs.uk/media/136195/EALING-JSNA-Focus-On-Musculoskeletal-Health-Dec17.pdf…

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Rheumatology and Radiology Healthcare Professional Conference

“Back to Back”
Back pain in Rheumatology
Friday 20th April 2018
Venue: Village Hotel, Lakeshore Drive, Portsmouth PO6 3FR

Join the Portsmouth Department of Rheumatology for the “Back to Back” Conference, where local and national experts will discuss the latest developments in rheumatological disorders with an emphasis on the use of radiological imaging to support diagnosis and management, in line with current best practice for Inflammatory Back Pain and Vertebral Fractures.
The conference is open to radiographers, nurse specialists and members of the multidisciplinary team involved in the management of patients with inflammatory back pain and vertebral fractures.…

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2018 AACP Annual Conference


The Acupuncture Association of Chartered Physiotherapists (AACP) is delighted to announce that their 2018 Annual Conference will be taking place at the Hilton, Reading on Saturday 19th May 2018.

Overview: Open to all with an interest and passion for Acupuncture in Physiotherapy, this conference provides a full day schedule packed with distinguished speakers educating you in the latest in acupuncture research and techniques. There will be time for you to ask questions directly to the experts and further discuss areas of interest to you.…

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Transforming Elective Care Handbooks

The NHS England Transforming Elective Care programme has produced its first two handbooks. They suggest new referral and outpatient processes for elective musculoskeletal/orthopaedic services and elective gastroenterology services.

They draw on practical interventions developed and tested at various sites that took part in the programme’s early work. Each handbook is intended to provide practical, evidence-based advice on tested interventions to ensure people access care that is:

  • high quality
  • timely
  • appropriate
  • person-centred
  • equitable

The MSK handbook includes information on

  • MSK clinical review and triage
  • Standard referral templates
  • First contact practitioner
  • MSK self-management education
  • Patient passport
  • Telephone follow up

Giving GPs the Tools

On the 30th November 2017, the HMSA launched its ‘Giving GPs the Tools’ campaign! Click here to see the poster, full size.

With funding for UK healthcare held by GPs, a good relationship with your GP based on working in a partnership, is vital. They are the gateway to access any specialist services and interventions we may need. Yet time and time again, the HMSA hears about negative experiences. Positive management of the conditions the HMSA supports, needs to involve a well-informed GP working in partnership with their patient.…

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CEO update – Spreading good practice

One thing we seem very good at in the MSK world is identifying examples of good practice. The NHSE/ARMA regional events have showcased a raft of excellent initiatives which make better use of NHS resources whilst also improving patient care. What is often harder to achieve is spreading that good practice.

Last week I attended a conference on delivering sustainable healthcare, which focused on why this is so difficult and what we can do to improve it. All very relevant to MSK improvement.…

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NASS win award for supporting individuals to take control of their care

NASS are delighted to be named as winners photo of awardsin the 2017 AbbVie Sustainable Healthcare Patients as Partner Awards. The awards recognise those who have made an exceptional contribution to the lives of patients and contributed toward a more sustainable health service.

Click here to see a full-size photo of the presentation.

NASS were named as winners of the category ‘Supporting individuals to take control of their care,’ in recognition of the physiotherapy and hydrotherapy sessions NASS branches provide to people with AS across the UK.…

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DWP Community partners programme

The Department for Work and Pensions is looking to second people with a professional or lived experience of musculoskeletal conditions to work on an exciting, new project. The Community Partners Programme is a new initiative working with Jobcentre colleagues to enhance our service to customers with disabilities and health conditions.

We are looking to second a colleague from a local organisation to be a Musculoskeletal Community Partner to work across Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire. We are looking to arrange secondments with organisations who would like their colleagues to gain valuable experience in a government department, and to share their specialist skills and knowledge to enhance the supported to Jobcentre colleagues with disabilities and health conditions.…

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