Category: Health Policy

Reaching new heights for the quality of care for people with musculoskeletal conditions

Guest blog by Liz Lingard, NHS RightCare Delivery Partner

Over the past 3 months I have joined the ‘Whole System MSK events’ that ARMA and NHS England have organised as the RightCare speaker. This was an opportunity to clarify the RightCare approach to everyone working across the system and how they can apply this in their local health economies. The core aim of RightCare aligns to what each of the ARMA partners aspires to achieve: ensure the right person is able to access the right care in the right place at the right time, making the best use of available resources to help deliver a sustainable NHS.

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Championing arthritis in parliament

Arthritis Research UK have created a new manifesto telling MPs what they can do to ensure that everyone with arthritis can have fuller lives. To make these recommendations a reality, it is vital that MPs across the country support people with arthritis through local and national activity. Prior to the general election we asked every candidate standing to be an Arthritis Champion and had 350 pledges with 24 candidates being elected to parliament. There are also 125 returning MPs who were Arthritis Champions in the previous Parliament.…

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Mental wellbeing research

Arthritis Care published new research to launch our Wake up to arthritis campaign during Arthritis Care Week. The report, Hidden impact: Arthritis and mental wellbeing, revealed the huge emotional toll of living with arthritis. Findings are based on over 3,000 survey responses from people with arthritis.

Findings include:

  • 79 per cent feel anxious or depressed because of their arthritis
  • 89 per cent worry about how arthritis will affect their future independence
  • Four in five (80 per cent) have given up activities they enjoy
  • Half (50 per cent) feel isolated or lonely because of their arthritis

Find out more about this research and read the full report here.…

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Belimumab (Benlysta) approved for restricted use in NHS Scotland

On Monday 8th May 2017 the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) published new advice accepting the restricted use of belimumab (Benlysta) by NHS Scotland for lupus patients. This advice was published following a re-submission with evidence supplied by GlaxoSmithKline (the producers of Benlysta) and LUPUS UK on behalf of patients.

 

Belimumab is the first drug approved to treat lupus in more than 50 years and is the first drug developed specifically for lupus since the disease was discovered. It is approved for adults with active, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE or lupus) who are receiving other lupus medicines.…

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FSEM (UK) Releases MSK Key Messages

The Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine (FSEM) UK has published a set of key messages to guide associated organisations and colleges through the specialty of Sport and Exercise Medicine’s work and relevance to MSK Medicine.

The key points cover the training and skills that SEM physicians have in MSK Medicine; the significance and relevance of this to the NHS; and links to the examples of hospital and community-based SEM-led MSK clinics, which deliver both clinical efficiencies and cost savings.

Read the FSEM’s key messages on MSK Medicine here, on their website.…

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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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