Category: Wales

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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Welsh Government MSK consultation

Open Consultation

Arthritis and long-term musculoskeletal conditions in adults

Consultation ends 30 July 2021

The Welsh Government has released a consultation document: Arthritis and Long-term Musculoskeletal Conditions in adults. This guidance is currently being developed to replace the Welsh Government’s Service Development and Commissioning Directives for Arthritis and Chronic Musculoskeletal Conditions [2006].

The new consultation seeks views on the proposed direction of the draft guidance and closes on 30 July 2021.

Please see the links below to the consultation documents:

The document provides definitive models of access and advises health boards on designing, planning and managing person-centred services for adults living with arthritis and long-term musculoskeletal conditions.…

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Petition for access to specialist lupus care

The Pembrokeshire Lupus Support Group and LUPUS UK are petitioning the Secretary of State for Health at the Welsh Assembly Government to remove the ‘gate keeper principle’ from their healthcare provision.

Patients with lupus and other rare autoimmune illnesses in Wales are being denied the right to access expertise that could really benefit them in the long term.

You can see more about the problem, read the petition and sign it here.

Living with persistent pain in Wales – consultation open

The Welsh Government has published its draft ‘Living with persistent pain in Wales guidance’ for consultation and is seeking views on the draft guidance which will replace the Service Development and Commissioning Directive for Chronic Non-Malignant Pain 2008.

The consultation is on the proposed direction of the draft guidance, which includes: living with pain, supported self-management and health service provision.

More information on the consultation, together with the draft guidance, can be downloaded from the gov.wales website.

The consultation ends 14 September 2018.…

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LUPUS UK North Wales Lupus Information Day

The LUPUS UK North Wales Lupus Information Day will take place on Saturday, 12 May 2018, in Llandudno.

The afternoon will feature a number of medical experts speaking, including:

“WHAT MEDICATION DO I NEED FOR LUPUS AND WHY?”
Dr Yasmeen Ahmad
Consultant Rheumatologist, Peter Maddison Rheumatology Centre, Llandudno Hospital

“FATIGUE – THE INVISIBLE BURDEN OF LIVING WITH SLE”
Anne Breslin
Rheumatology Specialist Nurse, Peter Maddison Rheumatology Centre, Llandudno Hospital

“CHALLENGES IN THE TREATMENT OF JUVENILE SLE (JSLE)”
Dr Eve Smith & Professor Christian Hedrich
NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer, University of Liverpool, Paediatric Trainee Alder Hey Children’s Hospital & Paediatric Rheumatologist Professor of Child Health at University of Liverpool

“MINDFULNESS FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH LONG TERM HEALTH CHALLENGES?…

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Update on Together for Mental Health in North Wales

Together for Mental Health in North Wales is an all-ages plan for mental health services in North
Wales covering the period up to 2021.

It has been put together by NHS Wales with partner organisations and with people who have lived experience of mental health issues. The project is supported by Caniad, an organisation created to involve people with lived experience in the design, delivery and evaluation of our mental health services.

The strategy outlines NHS Wales’s ambition to offer a comprehensive range of services that:

  • Promote health and wellbeing for everyone, focussing on prevention of mental ill health, and
    early intervention when required;
  • Treat common mental health conditions in the community as early as possible;
  • Are community-based wherever possible, reducing our reliance on inpatient care;
    Identify and treat serious mental illness as early as possible;
  • Manage acute and serious episodes of mental illness safely, compassionately, and
    effectively;
  • Support people to recovery, to regain and learn the skills they need after mental illness; and
  • Assess and treat the full range of mental health problems, working alongside services for
    people with physical health needs

Open the Together for Mental Health in North Wales strategy update document [PDF]
Law yn Llaw at Iechyd Meddwl yng Ngogledd Cymru – Chwefror 2018 [PDF]

 

UK Gout Society at the Welsh Assembly

On 28 November 2017, the UK Gout Society joined forces with Welsh Assembly Members, doctors and other charities to help raise awareness of gout in Wales.

Speaking at the Welsh Assembly, Rhun ap Iorwerth AM, the Plaid Cymru Health Spokesperson who hosted the event, said: “The impact of musculoskeletal conditions in Wales is huge and we have a big job to limit that impact. Working together to raise awareness of gout must play a part. We know that gout is often seriously undertreated and greatly misunderstood.”…

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North Wales ARMA Meetings for 2018

The North Wales ARMA Network has set advance details of its meetings for next year.

A map and directions are provided for meetings to be held on :-

• Tuesday 23th January 16:30 – 18:30 hours
• Tuesday 17th April 16:30 – 18:30 hours
• Tuesday 3th July 16:30 – 18:30 hours
• Tuesday 16th October 16:30 – 18:30 hours

Download full details in pdf format.

Assembly Members debate paediatric rheumatology

AMs in the National Assembly for Wales voted overwhelmingly in favour of a motion calling for a full multidisciplinary paediatric rheumatology service to be developed in Wales. Despite Cabinet Members abstaining, 27 AMs voted to support the motion, with nine abstentions and none against. There is now significant pressure on the government to take action.

Arthritis Care Wales, the British Society for Rheumatology and the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society have been campaigning to ensure children with arthritis in Wales have access to vital services.…

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