Prevention seems to have been the theme of my February. The possibility that a lot of the pain and disability of MSK conditions might be prevented, and that this is being taken seriously is an exciting prospect. Even where the conditions can’t be prevented, good self-management support can make a big difference to the impact of the condition. The Government is clear that the future sustainability of the NHS depends on prevention, and that it wants to improve healthy life expectancy by at least five extra years, by 2035.…
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Category: Clinical Networks Project
MSK services survey – Please let us know what is happening locally
As part of our Clinical Networks Project, ARMA wants to find out what is happening to improve MSK services across England in order to see how we can best target our support for improvements. Please let us know what is happening in your area by completing this short questionnaire, which should take only five minutes to complete. The information is anonymous and we won’t name individual CCGs or STPs.
The report on the findings will give a national picture of what is happening and help all those working to improve services better target their work.…
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Celebrate the messy and the unpredictable
Bringing knowledge together, bringing people together: those are the aims of ARMA’s clinical networks project. Bringing them together to improve the lives of people with MSK conditions, of course. That really sums up what ARMA is all about. We are about breaking down silos and professional boundaries, creating services which work in pathways, where multidisciplinary teams ensure people get the right support at the right time. We are about sharing knowledge and good practice so that professionals know what works and can replicate excellence in their local area.…
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South East Regional Musculoskeletal (MSK) one-day conference
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S England and the Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance (ARMA) are delighted to be hosting a South East Regional Musculoskeletal (MSK) one-day conference on Tuesday 28 November 2017 at the Arora Hotel, Crawley. The event is sponsored by NHS England and ARMA and is part of their joint MSK programme and will be organised by the Kent Surrey Sussex Academic Health Science Network.
Register now! using this link: www.eventbrite.co.uk/the-whole-system-msk-event.
The South East System MSK event will promote a coherent approach to transforming MSK services across the region by working directly with South East Sustainability Transformation Plans (STPs) footprints to support improvement in the quality of MSK care.…
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Transforming care for people with MSK conditions
by Dr Jill Firth, BHPR President, Consultant Nurse in Rheumatology and Director for Service Improvement at the Pennine Musculoskeletal Partnership Ltd in Oldham.
Over the past 20 years of working as a special ist nurse, I have witnessed first-hand the changing face of care for people with Musculoskeletal conditions (MSK) – particularly Rheumatoid Arthritis – leading to better outcomes for patients.
This can, in part, be attributed to advances in treatment strategies, including biologic therapies, but is also a consequence of better access to care provided by a multi-disciplinary team (MDT) comprising consultant rheumatologists, specialist nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and podiatrists as a core nucleus.…
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Guest Blog: Solving the puzzle of Musculoskeletal Service transformation
by Professor Peter Kay, National Clinical Director for Musculoskeletal Services for NHS England.
I was asked to write a blog to raise the profile of my MSK work supported by the Long-Term Conditions Team and, through the cryptic labyrinth of various schemes and initiatives, share with you my thoughts on how we can support sustainable, cost-effective transformation whilst still championing the more person-centred approach.
Easy task right?
Increasingly we are faced with the challenge of implementing population-level interventions in a bid to tackle unwarranted variation within our local areas.…
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Guest Blog: MSK Clinical Network Project
by Sarah Marsh, National Policy Lead, Long Term Conditions, NHS England
As we begin the new financial year and our plans for the upcoming months become more structured, I thought it would be a good opportunity to share my thoughts on the challenges heading our way; as well as a chance to share our ideas and reinforce our bid for your support as we further the momentum of all the work streams, including the MSK Knowledge Network Programme.
My aim for this coming year is to continue to support our programme strategies whilst reinforcing the links established with other MSK work ongoing within NHS England and our partner organisations: Department of Health, Public Health England and Health Education England.…
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