Managing Persistent Pain e-learning resource

A new e-learning resource available to all healthcare professionals working across roles and sectors in Wales entitled “Managing Persistent Pain”. It has been by launched by Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW).

This package has been developed in collaboration by HEIW, primary care representatives and pharmacy colleagues together with the National Clinical Lead for Persistent Pain. The resource has been developed to encourage healthcare professionals to think more broadly about the management persistent pain rather than focusing on medication and interventions.…

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Welsh Government Consultation: Arthritis and MSK Framework

Welsh Government documentThe Welsh Government has opened a consultation on the draft guidance document, Living with arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions: a framework for the future

The new framework is one of several tools that will guide service development and delivery for MSK conditions from 2024 to 2028.

The consultation is seeking views to shape the vision, mission and strategy for improving services for people with MSK conditions in Wales and is open for responses until 8th April 2024. 

Visit the consultation website for more information or to submit a response.

Welsh Government’s Quality Statement on MSK Health

Quality Statement for Musculoskeletal Health

The quality statement describes what good quality musculoskeletal health services should look like.

First published: 12 October 2023

Last updated: 12 October 2023

The Wales MSK Conference took place in Cardiff on World Arthritis Day, 12 October 2023. ARMA CEO Sue Brown presented alongside the Chief Medical Officer, Sir Frank Atherton and the Health Minister, Eluned Morganon.

The Minister and the CMO delivered speeches covering the scale of the challenge in terms of the number of people living with MSK in Wales – nearly a million – as well as the impact of the conditions on quality of life; both spoke about the importance of primary and secondary prevention regarding MSK.…

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Airing Pain #139 Living with Persistent Pain in Wales

Pain Concern is promoting the latest edition of their Airing Pain podcast: Airing Pain #139 Living With Persistent Pain in Wales.

It was recorded at the Living Well with Persistent Pain in Wales conference during Pain Awareness Month in September 2023. The topic of the conference was the launch of the refreshed persistent pain guidance first published in 2019.

We know that persistent and chronic pain conditions affect a significant proportion of our population. It’s estimated between 33% and 50% of the population suffer with some form of persistent pain.…

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Good Boost for Health in Wales

Newport Live has become the first leisure provider in Wales to deliver the Good Boost programme to help people with musculoskeletal conditions be more active and sociable.

The programme follows funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) as part of the Healthy Ageing Challenge. Newport Live is taking a leading role in a two-year research project examining how leisure centres & facilities may be transformed into musculoskeletal (MSK) hubs within the community.

The charitable trust will be the leisure provider in charge of delivering sessions that seek to improve people’s lives by getting them moving with gentle water and land-based exercise in a fun and social environment.…

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Welsh Government publishes NHS Workforce Implementation Plan

workforce planThe National Workforce Implementation Plan outlines a series of practical actions that will act as enablers to accelerate the ten-year Workforce Strategy published in 2020. The Plan highlights a number of actions that need to progress immediately to address some of the most urgent pressures within the NHS now. Plans for specific professions and services like nursing, dentistry, or pharmacy will be published over the next two years.

Read the National workforce implementation plan on the www.gov.wales website.

New national MSK clinical leads for Wales

Versus Arthritis WalesWales’s new national MSK clinical leads and persistent pain clinical leads have been appointed by Welsh Government and are now in post.

  • Meinir Jones (Hywel Dda UHB) and Robert Letchford (Cardiff & Vale UHB) have been appointed for arthritis/MSK.
  • Sue Jeffs (Aneurin Bevan UHB) and Owen Hughes (Powys tHB) have been appointed for pain.

All roles have been appointed for an initial 12-month period. The clinical leads will work with the Welsh Government to provide strategic oversight and support service development.

North Wales ARMA Network group report

Guest blog by Stephen Mack-Smith BSc, DC, MRCC. MEAC
Chair, North Wales ARMA

I received a letter about 14 years ago from my professional association looking for volunteers to join an umbrella group of patients and professionals with an interest in MSK problems. Funding for three years came from the English NHS, and fortune had it that owing to lobbying from North West Wales professionals within ARMA, a Pilot ARMA Network Group was formed in March 2007. It was the only one in Wales.…

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