Health Policy | ARMA

New Resources to Improve Care Pathways

BRITISH SOCIETY FOR RHEUMATOLOGY AND ROYAL COLLEGE OF GENERAL PRACTITIONERS LAUNCH INITIATIVE TO IMPROVE CARE PATHWAYS FOR PEOPLE WITH INFLAMMATORY ARTHRITIS

In May 2017, BSR and the RCGP have launched a joint Quality Improvement project to improve care for people living with inflammatory arthritis. The joint project will deliver a suite of online resources to help improve pathways between primary and secondary care, with a focus on reducing delays to diagnosis and creating standardised, shared care agreements. The recent National Clinical Audit for rheumatoid and early inflammatory arthritis revealed delays in referral from primary care to specialist treatment for people with suspected inflammatory arthritis, with only 17% of cases being referred within the three days recommended by NICE.…

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New models of MSK and Work & Health MSK webinars

We’ve just added to the ARMA website two links to recent webinar presentations: the “New models of MSK Masterclass”, presented by Christian Verrinder and Giles Hazan; and the “Work & Health MSK webinar,” lead by Tony Woolf in participation with ARUK and BSR.

Dr Christian Verrinder and Dr Giles Hazan share aspects of their experience to date in MSK commissioning, including their thoughts on: process, structure, design, procurement, implementation and review. Their webinar explores how we can build on current service provision for people with MSK conditions in order to identify how and where current services and support can be improved and reflects how this new programme of work has influenced the commissioning of MSK services.…

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Access to Surgery

Restrictions on access to surgery have been in the news again with this Observer article on smokers and obese patients waiting longer for surgery such as hip and knee replacements. In April, the Kings Fund published a report on understanding NHS Financial pressures and what this means for patients. Whereas genito-urinary medicine and district nursing services have seen an impact on access to, and quality of, their services, neonatal and elective hip replacement services were not affected to the same extent by the same pressures.…

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London Marathon 2017

We are incredibly proud of the 65 runners who represented Arthritis Research UK at the London Marathon, many of whom were running for a loved one with arthritis or who have arthritis themselves. 28 members of staff alongside friends and family helped cheer our runners on from the side-lines at Mile 7 (Cutty Sark), Mile 12 (Tower Bridge) and Mile 25 (Birdcage Walk) and from inside the QEII where we held our post-race party. So far we have raised a total of over £87,000 and are very grateful to everyone who has donated.…

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Encouraging early intervention to support good work and a healthy workforce

Guest Blog by Lesley Giles, Director, Work Foundation

I am delighted to contribute to this edition of the Newsletter in my new role as Director at the Work Foundation. I think after 6 months I can probably just about still call myself new, not least as time has flown by in a whirlwind. It’s one of those roles that really is a great privilege to do. What is there not to like? I have the opportunity to research and promote something I am passionate about – the importance of good work!…

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Next Steps on the NHS Five Year Forward View

The Next Steps on the NHS Five Year Forward View document was published on March 31^st 2017 as an update to the original Five Year Forward View published in October 2014.

Next Steps sets out the NHS’ main national service improvement priorities over the next two years, “within the constraints of what is necessary to achieve financial balance across the health service”.

This blog post sets out why MSK is so important for the delivery of the next steps and the role ARMA and our members have to play.

We need to put forward effective examples of practice when looking to influence MSK care in the UK

Putting forward models of care and examples of practice for the NHS is a large part of how Sport and Exercise Medicine (SEM) is influencing the MSK landscape. The Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine’s Fresh Approach in Practice NHS information document remains useful and relevant when communicating what works and how SEM can improve outcomes and make real cost savings in MSK care.

Members and Fellows of the FSEM are now putting forward their evidence for SEM-led MSK services to help provide much needed examples.…

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CEO Update, May 2017

After the success of our first three MSK pathway events I’m pleased that planning for the next three has begun. The North West event will be in Merseyside on May 16^th and is shaping up to be every bit as inspiring as the others. Two events are being planned for the South region, with the first in Exeter in July. More details should be available in our next newsletter.

I have been reading the pledge forms completed by people at the first three events and they show the commitment of people to create change in services.…

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Musculoskeletal Services: the missing step

Last Friday, March 31^st, NHS England published a significant document about the future of the NHS: Next Steps on the NHS Five Year Forward View. The original NHS five year forward view set out why and how the NHS should change to address three issues: the health gap, the quality gap and the financial sustainability gap. The next steps updates on progress and sets out future plans.

Musculoskeletal conditions account for a major part of the workload of the NHS, 40% of which is due to potentially preventable risk factors.

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UK Gout Society Parliamentary Reception

Gout: No Laughing Matter

The UK Gout Society held a parliamentary reception at the House of Commons on 28^th March 2017 to launch #shoutaboutgout – a social media campaign to raise awareness about gout, a musculoskeletal disorder which now affects one in 40 people in the UK. Nearly 60 MPs, peers and other stakeholders in the MSK space, including many ARMA members, attended the event.

Jim Shannon, MP for Strangford (Northern Ireland) and DUP Spokesperson for Health, who sponsored the event, stated: “It’s time we put the facts on the table and told people the truth about gout.”…

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