Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance
Influencing policy and care together for best lifelong musculoskeletal health
A new publication from National Voices Timely access to care: Principles for recovery argues for an inclusive, equitable and person-centred recovery, focusing on the whole person, in the context of their lives, and the whole system, and the context within which it is operating. There are three sets of recommendations: one for government and system leaders, one for people planning and delivering services and one for the VCSE.
Access the document here.
In 2016, the Centre for Epidemiology Versus Arthritis at the University of Manchester ran a large study, collecting data about people’s symptoms and comparing this to the weather.
Using this data, the researchers are now aiming to build a pain forecast. This will be like a weather forecast but used for predicting pain severity in the near future. Being able to forecast pain severity in this way will provide benefits for patients in the future.
In this second phase, a survey will ask people with chronic pain what information that they would be interested in receiving about pain severity.…
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The report, Driving Improvements in Axial SpA Services: Building Foundations through Aspiring to Excellence was produced and published by the National Axial Spondyloarthritis Society (NASS), and launched on 22 October 2021. This is the first detailed account of service improvement projects undertaken by rheumatology teams across the UK as part of the Aspiring to Excellence programme.
Every team on the programme is working on a project that will improve diagnosis, treatment and care for patients with axial SpA.…
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Independent Age, a charity for those in later life, has launched a new report titled ‘Patiently waiting: Older people’s experiences of waiting for surgery’. The report highlights the challenges for older people in England waiting for surgical procedures, and the impact waiting has on their mental, emotional and physical health. It also features what older people would like in terms of support and information as they wait for surgery.
Waiting times for treatment have been increasing over the past five years.…
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The British Psoriatic Arthritis Consortium has worked with the James Lind Alliance to run a priority setting partnership (PSP), and in August launched their ‘Top Ten’ list of research priorities for psoriatic arthritis. These have been agreed upon by patients, carers and clinicians, and the launch marks the culmination of the psoriatic arthritis PSP research.
Brit-PACT is delighted to reveal the Top Ten Psoriatic Arthritis Research Priorities, agreed upon by people who are living with psoriatic arthritis, carers and healthcare professionals.…
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Public Health England has published a report on the wider impacts of COVID-19 on physical activity, deconditioning and falls in older adults. The study modelled the likely effect of the decrease in strength and balance activity observed during the pandemic on people who experience a fall, the number of falls and associated health and social care costs.
Key findings
Some of the key findings were:
Guest blog by Dr Michelle Farr, Research Fellow at University of Bristol and the National Institute for Health Research Applied Research Collaboration West (NIHR ARC West)
People who experience long-term pain have important insights and strategies that help them manage pain in everyday life. However, they are often not invited to share their knowledge and skills to inform the services that are meant to support them. ARMA has been highlighting the importance of working in partnership with patients and how co-production, where patients and professionals work together, can improve pain services.…
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Pfizer has issued a request for proposals for their Global Awards for Advancing Chronic Pain Research.
Proposals are invited in a range of areas of interest related to osteoarthritis and chronic pain including understanding unmet medical needs and multidisciplinary approaches to management of OA.
Application due date: 22 September 2021.
Find out more here.
Waiting for care: Understanding the pandemic’s effects on people’s health and quality of life looks at how the suspension of routine NHS care has affected people’s health and wellbeing via two case studies – hip replacements and diabetes.
In 2020, as a result of the pandemic, 58,000 fewer people than usual had a hip replacement and are therefore waiting. Those waiting are particularly likely to be in certain regions of England, are slightly more likely to be older and slightly more likely to be living in deprived areas.…
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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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