Category: Health Policy

ARMA Webinar: Focus on Musculoskeletal Health: developing and implementing a JSNA chapter

The webinar will outline the development of the JSNA chapter and why this is important for improving the musculoskeletal health of a local population. Ian Bernstein and Rutuja Kulkarni-Johnston will outline the process of developing an MSK JSNA chapter. Kevin Fenton will explore the benefits of this and how it might be used.

The London Borough of Ealing and NHS Ealing CCG published 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.…

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NHSE Consultation on conditions for which over-the-counter items should not routinely be prescribed in primary care

NHS England is consulting on proposals that will stop routine prescribing in primary care of over the counter treatments for a number of conditions, including the maintenance use of vitamin D. Receiving adequate vitamin D intake is crucial for current and future bone health and NICE Public Health Guideline 562 (PH56) states that a licensed dose of vitamin D, for prevention of vitamin D deficiency, should be widely available to at-risk groups.

The consultation recognises that vitamin D should continue to be prescribed for patients who are deficient and that it can be prescribed in combination with calcium for osteoporosis.…

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Update on Together for Mental Health in North Wales

Together for Mental Health in North Wales is an all-ages plan for mental health services in North
Wales covering the period up to 2021.

It has been put together by NHS Wales with partner organisations and with people who have lived experience of mental health issues. The project is supported by Caniad, an organisation created to involve people with lived experience in the design, delivery and evaluation of our mental health services.

The strategy outlines NHS Wales’s ambition to offer a comprehensive range of services that:

  • Promote health and wellbeing for everyone, focussing on prevention of mental ill health, and
    early intervention when required;
  • Treat common mental health conditions in the community as early as possible;
  • Are community-based wherever possible, reducing our reliance on inpatient care;
    Identify and treat serious mental illness as early as possible;
  • Manage acute and serious episodes of mental illness safely, compassionately, and
    effectively;
  • Support people to recovery, to regain and learn the skills they need after mental illness; and
  • Assess and treat the full range of mental health problems, working alongside services for
    people with physical health needs

Open the Together for Mental Health in North Wales strategy update document [PDF]
Law yn Llaw at Iechyd Meddwl yng Ngogledd Cymru – Chwefror 2018 [PDF]

 

ARMA Annual lecture: Dame Carol Black

Musculoskeletal conditions, disability and employment

Dame Carol Black is the outstanding expert advisor on health and work and principal of Newnham College Cambridge. Her lecture, delivered in London as part of the ARMA Annual Lecture series, was on progress to date by government, health professionals and employers on musculoskeletal conditions and their impact on employment and a person’s wellbeing.

The lecture and reception was well attended with an interesting Q&A session and lively twitter dialog using #MSKatWork.

You can watch the lecture on this page, where you can also find the accompanying slides for the presentation and photos from the event, or see the video directly via our YouTube channel.…

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NICE guideline on chronic pain: assessment and management

The final scope for the NICE Chronic pain: assessment and management guideline has now been published, along with all the stakeholder comments that were received during consultation and responses to these comments.

NICE would like to thank you for your continued involvement and interest in this guideline. The comments received during the consultation period helped us to develop and refine the scope. ARMA has been identified as a key stakeholder for this topic and will be contacted again when the draft guideline is released for consultation.…

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UK Gout Society at the Welsh Assembly

On 28 November 2017, the UK Gout Society joined forces with Welsh Assembly Members, doctors and other charities to help raise awareness of gout in Wales.

Speaking at the Welsh Assembly, Rhun ap Iorwerth AM, the Plaid Cymru Health Spokesperson who hosted the event, said: “The impact of musculoskeletal conditions in Wales is huge and we have a big job to limit that impact. Working together to raise awareness of gout must play a part. We know that gout is often seriously undertreated and greatly misunderstood.”…

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The Safe Care Steering Group survey

We all expect our healthcare to be safe, but mistakes can happen that may put patients at unnecessary risk.

This is the focus of the Safe Care Steering Group overseeing a James Lind Alliance priority setting partnership about safe care for adults with complex health needs, who have more than one condition or illness, or who need care from different teams and/or some care to be provided in their home.

On behalf of the Allied Health Professions Federation, Dr Jo Watson, RCOT’s Assistant Director – Education and Research, is part of this Steering Group.…

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Pharmacists can play a key role in an integrated patient care team

Guest blog by Robbie Turner, Director of England, Royal Pharmaceutical Society

With people living longer lives, the number living with multiple long-term conditions is rising, leading to billions of pounds in additional health and social care costs. This will be a scenario very familiar to the members of ARMA.

Treatment and support for the growing number of people with long term conditions such as arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions is placing significant demands on the NHS and other public services. Around £15 billion was spent on medicines in 2015/16, which are the most common solution chosen to help manage symptoms for people with long term conditions. …

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Happy 2018?

Happy New Year to all our supporters.

Although it is hard to feel that it will be happy for the NHS as winter crisis stories filled the media. Everyone in Government including the Prime Minister was forced to apologise as routine operations were postponed to help cope with the pressure of emergencies. Ministers appeared in the media to argue that the moves were part of a planned response and therefore there was no “crisis”. Listening to the coverage I took a small crumb of comfort: again and again, when giving an example of the negative impact of delays, hip and knee operations were mentioned.…

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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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