Category: Health Policy

Have your say on the Musculoskeletal Advanced Practice and Governance Framework

Advanced Musculoskeletal (MSK) practice has been developing for many years, playing an integral part within the delivery of health services nationally. MSK practitioners work in diverse settings including emergency, rheumatology, persistent pain, paediatric and therapies, as well as in primary and community care and in MSK secondary care interface services.

Skills for Health is inviting feedback on a new core capability framework for MSK Advanced Practice and Governance. They are keen to hear from Advanced Practitioners, Advanced Practitioners in training, the wider healthcare team, employers, training providers, patients and carers to ensure the framework reflects what is needed in the sector.…

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ROS, bone health parliamentary group & FLS

Royal Osteoporosis Society supports APPG on Osteoporosis and Bone Health inquiry into Fracture Liaison Service provision

The Royal Osteoporosis Society provides the secretariat to the recently established All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Osteoporosis and Bone Health. The APPG was launched in March 2021 and its first act was to open an inquiry into the postcode lottery for access to Fracture Liaison Services (FLS).

The inquiry is currently well underway. Written evidence submissions were invited throughout June, and two successful oral evidence sessions took place in July.…

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NASS launches campaign to achieve Gold Standard Time to Diagnosis for Axial SpA

On 22 June 2021, the National Axial Spondyloarthritis Society (NASS) launched the Act on Axial SpA campaign.

It currently takes an average of 8.5 years to diagnose axial SpA. This is too long, and NASS aims to drive this down this down by introducing the world’s first Gold Standard Time to Diagnosis of just one year.

Axial spondyloarthritis is an inflammatory disease of the spine and joints. Inflammation where muscles attach to the bones, causes extreme pain. If left untreated, it can permanently fuse bones together.…

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Guest blog: Supporting people living with long term pain

What does the recent NICE guidance mean for pain clinics in this country?

Personal view from Alf Collins, Clinical Director for Personalised Care, NHS England and NHS Improvement

The recently published NICE guidance re: chronic pain management 1 has enjoyed a mixed reception. The purpose of the guidance is to improve the lives of people living with long term pain by improving the quality of pain management services across the NHS but many commentators, patient groups and national professional bodies have not been slow to criticise it, citing that implementation could lead to significant patient harm.…

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Implementing patient-initiated follow-up in rheumatology

New guidance on implementing patient-initiated follow-up (PIFU) in adult rheumatology services is now available. For clinicians, service managers and commissioners the guidance will support the appropriate, safe and sustainable implementation and delivery of PIFU for people with rheumatological conditions who are under the care of adult rheumatology services. 

You can find the guidance on NHS England and NHS Improvement FutureNHS websites. If you are not already a member of FutureNHS platform, please visit the joingroup page to request access. You will be required to register for a FutureNHS account if you don’t already one.…

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Place-based partnerships report

The way NHS services are delivered is changing. Part of this is the development of place-based partnerships which will cover a geographical area smaller than an integrated care system (ICS). These will play a key role in integrating care and improving population health, which needs to happen more locally. The King’s Fund has produced a report on place-based partnerships to outline how this is happening and to provide local health and care leaders with a set of principles to support their approach to working at place.…

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Ride the wave

by Sue Brown, ARMA CEO

There’s been an optimistic feel to ARMA in the last week. A big part of this is down to our first ever virtual annual lecture. “Great lecture and discussion. As a patient I feel much more positive after listening to this!” said one person in the chat. Andrew Bennett opened the lecture with an update on the BestMSK Health Collaborative. This was followed by a wide ranging panel discussion on partnership with Public Health, Health Education and people living with MSK conditions.…

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State of health and care: The NHS Long Term Plan after COVID-19

State of Health reportState of health and care: The NHS Long Term Plan after COVID-19

A new report from IPPR shows the extent to which the coronavirus pandemic has disrupted progress on the NHS Long Term Plan. The report looks at cancer, mental illness, cardiovascular disease and multiple long term conditions, but the findings are equally relevant to MSK services.

The report argues that COVID-19 should not become an excuse for low ambition, and that world-class healthcare must remain the overall goal. To achieve this, the report recommends a package of six ambitious changes designed to do three things:

  • Ensure the pandemic does not cause lasting damage to healthcare services for future generations.
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Guest blog: A New Deal for Prevention

by Sebastian Rees, Researcher, Reform.

At Reform, we’ve long advocated for prevention to be central to any proposals for building a healthier Britain. Tackling the drivers of ill health early reduces demand on health care services further down the line, easing pressures on our already strained system. Far more importantly, averting or delaying the development of preventable conditions allows people to live for longer in better health. If the goal of our health system is to help people build happier, healthier lives, prevention must remain a priority. …

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Workforce planning chart for MSK

The launch of NHS England’s Best MSK Health programme gives the population’s musculoskeletal health in England a focus and priority like never before, and much needed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

NHS England waiting times data shows people with serious MSK conditions needing diagnosis and treatment by rheumatology and elective care services are waiting much longer. The same is true for community MSK services and treatment. At the other end of the spectrum, for people who previously had no long-term conditions, the lockdown effect on mental well-being, exercise and weight-gain are significant obstacles to their musculoskeletal health now and into the future.…

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