Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance
Influencing policy and care together for best lifelong musculoskeletal health
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!
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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The Welsh Government has opened a consultation on the draft guidance document, Living with arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions: a framework for the future.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.
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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Join the monthly NRAS Live on Wednesday 28th 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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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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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?
Taking part in this discussion:
by Sue Brown, CEO ARMA
As the final draft of our report into the MSK health inequalities inquiry comes together, a few things have made me think about the importance of data.
First the good news. NHS England has published a statement on information on health inequalities. The Statement includes which information on health inequalities should be collected, analysed and published by NHS bodies in England. Sadly, it does not link to the conditions in the Major Conditions Strategy, so MSK is included only in the overall figures for elective care.…
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NHS England’s Statement on Information on Health Inequalities (duty under section 13SA of the National Health Service Act 2006) was published in November 2023.
Integrated care boards, trusts and foundation trusts should use this statement to identify key information on health inequalities and set out how they have responded to it in annual reports. The document sets out a range of indications which should be published by relevant NHS bodies in England.
The list does not include any MSK-specific measures, although elective care is included, of which MSK makes up a significant portion.…
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The Aquatic Activity and Swimming for Health e-learning programme is now available for everyone within health and social care settings.
Previously only available for colleagues with an NHS email address, the programme can now be accessed by all.
The resource, developed in partnership with Swim England, Aquatic Therapy Association of Chartered Physiotherapists (ATACP) and the University of Nottingham, raises awareness of the benefits of aquatic activity on health and wellbeing and will enhance learners’ confidence in identifying patients who would benefit most.…
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