Category: Health Policy

Direct access to physiotherapy benefits MSK patients

Between 20 and 30% of a GP caseload is made up of patients with musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions; by expanding the availability of physiotherapy in general practice, GP time is freed up and patients are put in the driving seat, receiving the right care from the right professional. Physiotherapists are experts regarding MSK issues and have the same high safety record as GPs.

There are already examples of experienced physiotherapists working alongside GPs as the first point of contact for MSK patients.…

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NOS Fracture Liaison Services – a key and proven measure

Fracture Liaison Services hold key to addressing crisis in osteoporosis, attendees at National Osteoporosis conference hear
 
The growing crisis in osteoporosis causing 300,000 debilitating fractures and costing the NHS £1.9bn every year can be effectively addressed by implementing and improving Fracture Liaison Services throughout hospitals and clinics across the UK, attendees at the National Osteoporosis Society conference in Birmingham heard in November.
 
Dr Kassim Javaid, Consultant in Metabolic Medicine at the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust – who spoke about Fracture Liaison Services at the conference – said: “The enormous personal cost of the often debilitating fractures caused by osteoporosis and the financial impact on our already under-pressure health service will only intensify as our population ages.…

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Realising the Value

post-realising-value-iconsA major new body of work has concluded that person-centred approaches are pivotal to improving health and care during financially restrained times.

The Realising the Value programme has conducted a thorough analysis of the evidence for person- and community-centred approaches, worked with five frontline sites across England, and published tools, recommendations and economic modelling to show how they can be successfully implemented.

Aimed at health and care system leaders, commissioners and front-line professionals, the resources from the programme conclude that person- and community- centred approaches are pivotal to improving wellbeing outcomes during financially restrained times.…

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Tackling MSK conditions in the workplace requires a joined-up approach

dr-justin-varney-phe-nlGuest blog by Dr Justin Varney, National Lead for Adult Health and Wellbeing, Public Health England

Musculoskeletal health issues, along with mental health issues, continue to account for the majority of sickness absence in the UK. It is estimated that 9.5 million working days are lost each year due to musculoskeletal health problems and over a third of all long-term sickness absence in England.

MSK conditions can affect people at any age and at any point in their career. One in eight people of working age in the UK have a musculoskeletal issue and the prevalence of MSK conditions in the workforce is projected to increase to affect over 7 million people by 2030, a reflection of the impact of the ageing working profile.…

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NASS Patients’ Choice for good health and care practice

NASS-2015-logo-squareThe AS-it-is Patient Voice & Patient Choice campaign launches on 2 November 2016 in the Houses of Parliament.

It aims to:

  • Promote the upcoming National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Clinical Guidelines for Spondyloarthritis
  • Celebrate existing good practice by health care professionals
  • Promote written care plans

NASS believes proper implementation of the Guidelines will help to improve the current 8.5 year average delay to diagnosis for people with axial spondyloarthritis, including ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

NASS are celebrating good practice by healthcare professionals through our Patients’ Choice Awards.…

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We need to rethink “best treatment”

Paul-Hitchcockby Paul Hitchcock, Chief Executive Officer of the British Acupuncture Council

We have an ageing population. Many of that population have multiple conditions. We have already reached a situation where the provision of health and care is problematic under the current system; too many people with too many conditions with insufficient cash or workforce capacity to enable their support.

Yet the system continues to take a reductive approach to treatments and support services. Commissioners or policy makers stop services or treatments when a new innovation is proposed so that, although they can claim to be cutting edge, in reality the system provides less support to fewer people and reduces patient choice at the same time.…

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Westminster Hall Debate and DCLG consultation

Westminster Hall Debate

We have, through our ‘Arthritis Champions’ in the House of Commons, moved a backbench debate in Westminster Hall, to be held on Thursday 20 October.  This debate will be discussing, primarily the themes of Arthritis Research UK’s Share Your Everyday campaign and we will be briefing MPs as such.

In support of our campaign, we aim for this debate to be an opportunity for MPs to share their own experiences of arthritis in order to encourage more people with arthritis to tell with their own stories about living with the condition and how it affects their day-to-day lives.…

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World Health Organisation landmark action plan will tackle tidal wave of musculoskeletal conditions

who-world-health-org-squareThe Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance, an alliance of prominent health charities, professional and research bodies, today [Thursday 15th September 2016] welcomed a ground-breaking World Health Organisation action plan to tackle a tidal wave of musculoskeletal conditions in Europe [1]. The Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases in the WHO European Region, which was approved by WHO Europe’s Regional Committee today, includes specific priority actions by all European countries to stem the rise in musculoskeletal conditions and to improve overall health.…

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Guest Blog: How can we support people working and managing MSDs?

RobYeldham-nlby Rob Yeldham, Director of Strategy, Policy & Engagement for the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.

Musculoskeletal disorders are the largest cause of disability in the UK. Some conditions may be caused by, or exasperated by, work. Others are not work related but impact on the ability of people to work. Only around six in ten working age people with an MSK are in work. Many people with arthritis are hiding their condition at work for fear of their employer’s reaction. So how can we support people working and managing MSDs?…

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