Health Policy

10 Year Plan Response

ARMA welcomes the 10 Year Health Plan and calls for a national MSK strategy to unlock its full potential

The Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance (ARMA) welcomes the publication of the Government’s 10 Year Health Plan for England and its clear commitment to tackling widening health inequalities and focusing on healthy life expectancy. We are pleased to see many of the themes and recommendations from ARMA’s Act Now report reflected in the Plan, including a commitment to listening to the voice of patients and directing investment towards communities with entrenched health disparities.…

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BASRaT petition to expand private health insurance

BASRaT has launched a petition to expand private health insurance coverage for Sport Rehabilitation treatment. If you believe everyone deserves the choice of care they receive to live a healthy, active life, please take a moment to sign.

BASRaT-registered Sports Rehabilitators play a crucial role in helping people recover from injury, improve performance and return to the activities they love. Despite their expertise and professional regulation, many private medical insurance providers still do not recognise or reimburse treatment delivered by Sport Rehabilitators.…

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GIRFT webinar: Delivering cMSK Community Appointment Days

GIRFT invites you to join us for a webinar on 10^th July 2025, 12:30pm – 1:30pm to hear about the progress of the GIRFT MSK community programme and to discuss the delivery of Community Appointment Days (CADs).

The Community Appointment Days (CADs) initiative aims to introduce a new model of care supporting people to better manage their own health and determine appropriate next steps for treatment, placing greater emphasis on having conversations rather than traditional consultations.

We are delighted to be joined by Jean King, deputy director – health division, Joint Work and Health Directorate, who will reflect on her visit to a CAD in Cornwall.…

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Cut to the Bone campaign

Versus Arthritis launches #CutToTheBone campaign in response to benefit cuts

Versus Arthritis has launched their #CutToTheBone campaign, urging MPs to vote against £5bn of benefit cuts tabled by the Government to encourage people into work. Among these changes, the stricter eligibility criteria to qualify for the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) will be the most devastating. PIP helps over 200,000 people with arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions across the UK lead fulfilling, independent lives. By taking away the money needed to cover the necessities of daily living, the Government is working against disabled people, not for them.…

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getUBetter proves a vital partner in supporting MSK waiting lists

As NHS services continue to navigate rising demand and resource challenges, getUBetter is proving to be a vital partner in enhancing MSK care and turning passive waiting lists into active ones. Recently deployed across Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust (NHFT) as part of the national Get It Right First Time (GIRFT) MSK improvement programme, the getUBetter app is already making an immediate impact.

In collaboration with NHFT’s MSK Physiotherapy team, getUBetter delivered a bespoke, fully branded digital self-management solution within only 4 weeks.…

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More DEXA scanners roll out across England

DEXA-scanner expansion to deliver 29,000 extra bone-density scans a year.

Following sustained engagement by the Royal Osteoporosis Society, APPG on Osteoporosis and Bone Health and our fantastic ARMA supporters, DHSC has confirmed the roll-out of 13 additional DEXA scanners across England. The move is expected to create capacity for around 29,000 extra scans annually, supporting earlier diagnosis and shorter waits for patients.

Devastating postcode lottery for osteoporosis medication

The Royal Osteoporosis Society and the APPG on Osteoporosis and Bone Health have published a new report exposing how a “postcode lottery” in NHS prescribing leaves over 1 million women without access to vital bone-strengthening treatments. This analysis calls for unified, system-wide policy reform to ensure equitable medication pathways for all.

Read the full report here.

APPG on Osteoporosis – Access to Medicines Inquiry

ROS and APPG on Osteoporosis and Bone Health Inquiry Report on Access to Medicines

An upcoming report from the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Osteoporosis and Bone Health highlights the “critical need for system-wide reform” to address barriers to osteoporosis medication in the NHS, leaving millions of people at risk of life-threatening fractures.

Fractures caused by osteoporosis are preventable. A timely diagnosis and a treatment plan can prevent fractures. But there is an enormous treatment gap with two-thirds of people who need anti-osteoporosis medications missing out on them – around 90,000 people every year.…

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Supporting people with chronic conditions

The Welsh Parliament’s Health and Social Care Committee has published its report Supporting people with chronic conditions.

The report makes a number of urgent recommendations to the Welsh Government to ensure that people currently living with chronic conditions are being properly supported and are receiving the services they need to manage their care.

You can read ARMA’s evidence to the Committee here.

You can read the full report here.

New patient decision aid on knee osteoarthritis for primary care

NHS England and NICE have worked together to produce new patient decision aids (also known as Decision Support Tools) last year, including one on knee osteoarthritis. These were developed in accordance with NICE’s standards framework for shared-decision-making support tools, and support making decisions about:

Self-management activities
Using treatments like tablets, creams and injections
Surgery, or wearing special shoes

Patient decision aids enable shared decision making by making treatment, care and support options explicit. They provide evidence-based information about the associated benefits/harms and help people consider what matters most to them in relation to the possible outcomes, including doing nothing.