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ARMA Newsletter August 2022
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Community-powered MSK Health?
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It’s been exciting in the last two years to be working with the BestMSK Health team at NHS England, and now also with MSK improvement work in Wales. There’s been lots of talk about co-production, self-management support, reducing inequalities and a focus on prevention. The direction is very much one that ARMA can support. Then I read A Community Powered NHS from New Local and I started to wonder if we are being brave enough, going far enough, thinking big enough.
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Guest blog: How treating my RMD has influenced my hopes for the future
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By anonymous writer for the EULAR Edgar Stene Prize essay competition, runner-up in the UK national competition
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Pain is not something that anyone wants. Chronic illness will rob so much of a person that often, we are only able to see it as stealing from life. For myself, I will never seek to deny the anguish of the first years of my illness with rheumatoid arthritis. I was a shadow, hiding in the corners and trying to find a way out of myself. The relentless severity of the pain, the ungainly shuffling and wincing, the nights with no rest and mornings void of freshness.
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But through all the difficulty, something positive happened in me - my experience of hope was recalibrated.
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Bone and Joint Week - Health inequalities
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Send us your case studies for Bone and Joint Week 2022
Bone and Joint Week aims to help get people thinking about one of the most widespread and pressing health issues of our times - musculoskeletal health.
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This year the focus is on reducing health inequalities in musculoskeletal health. We are seeking case studies of good practice examples of reducing health inequalities in musculoskeletal health. Think you have something? Please get in touch with us at projects@arma.uk.net.
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We plan to feature the case studies in blogs, social media and write ups.
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Health inequalities
For some people in the UK there are still unfair and avoidable inequalities in their musculoskeletal health and in their access to and experiences of health services.
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Poorer MSK health affects more women than men. It affects more people with lower income. It affects more people living in deprivation. It disproportionately affects some ethnic groups. It affects young people. It affects older people. And the challenges in the cost of living may deepen health inequalities.
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It’s our ambition to reduce health inequalities in musculoskeletal health. We know that this is an ambition shared by many. The NHS long term plan. The BestMSK Health Collaborative. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities. Our members. Our followers.
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We can drive change by listening to and focussing on the most excluded communities so that there is equity in access, experiences and outcomes. We can drive change by working together.
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MSK health inequalities resources
In common with other health conditions, there are significant health inequalities in MSK. Addressing this is one of ARMA’s priorities. There is a lot of information about health inequalities, but finding MSK specific information is harder.
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To help those with an interest in tackling MSK health inequalities, we have created a resource page to signpost to the most relevant and useful resources and information specifically about MSK health inequalities.
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The resource is not intended as an exhaustive list of research on MSK health inequalities. We have prioritised those which have a UK focus, which draw useful findings or are most likely to be of value to those trying to address health inequalities. We have included some resources related to pain since this is a very significant aspect of long term MSK conditions.
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ARMA trustee elections 2022
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Following the ARMA elections, the AGM welcomed newly elected trustees Dale Webb, CEO of NASS, Ruth Sephton, consultant physiotherapist and Debbie Wilson, young persons’ project manager at NRAS. A full list of our Board is on our website.
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At the Board meeting on 26 July 2022, Dirk Vennix was elected as chair and Chris Martey as vice-chair.
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Key MSK COVID-19 resources
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ARMA continues to keep its COVID-19 resources page up to date.
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Members' news
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ARMA CEO in speaker line up for NOA Conference
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The National Orthopaedic Alliance (NOA) Annual Members' Conference takes place on 19 October 2022 from 9am - 5pm at The Eastside Rooms, Birmingham.
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Registration is now open and staff from NOA member organisations are invited to attend. ARMA CEO, Sue Brown, joins the line-up of speakers alongside Dr Chloe Stewart in a presentation focussed on 'The Value of Shared Decision Making'.
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Petition to end the postcode lottery for osteoporosis care
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Earlier this year, the Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS) launched an online petition calling on the Government to ensure equal access to osteoporosis treatment and care in England and Wales. The petition ends in early August, but there's still time to make a difference! They need to reach 10,000 signatures for the Government to formally respond.
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The petition is part of a national campaign by ROS calling for a hundred per cent Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) coverage in England and Wales …
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Versus Arthritis – New dates for MSK training
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The Versus Arthritis Core Skills training is aimed at GPs and other primary care professionals involved in diagnosing and supporting patients with MSK conditions. All courses are endorsed by the BSR: 'Core Skills in MSK care digital (RCGP accredited)'; 'MSK bitesize'; 'Is it inflammatory arthritis or fibromyalgia syndrome, or both?' and 'Managing chronic pain in primary care'…
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NOA webinar on NCIP orthopaedic roll out
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The latest NOA webinar focused on the orthopaedic surgery roll out of the National Consultant Information Portal (NCIP). NCIP, a secure online portal which enables NHS consultants and surgeons to review information about their clinical activity and benchmark patient outcomes, is currently being released across in England…
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PCRMM Annual Conference 2022 programme
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MSK Across Multi-Disciplinary First Contact Care
11 and 12 November 2022
ONLINE
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The Primary Care Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Medicine Society is delighted to announce this year’s conference. The success of past conferences engenders motivation for the Society to try and improve each year and offer more…
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INTEGRATE Pain – Delphi voting
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Pain Alliance Europe is asking: Which aspects of pain are important to record and measure? The question comes from an exciting transatlantic research consortium, INTEGRATE-Pain. PAE on behalf of INTEGRATE-Pain is looking for people’s personal experience to help decide this. Pain Alliance Europe is looking for people with lived and/or advocacy experience to participate in a (Delphi) voting process.
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Decision support tools published - NHS England
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NHS England has published a suite of eight decision support tools covering varying conditions along with guidance on how to use them and evaluating the impact. Four of these relate to MSK conditions:
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- Making a decision about Dupuytren’s contracture
- Making a decision about carpal tunnel syndrome
- Making a decision about hip osteoarthritis
- Making a decision about knee osteoarthritis
Decision support tools (DSTs), also called patient decision aids, support shared decision making …
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Women’s health strategy published
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Although women in the UK on average live longer than men, women spend a significantly greater proportion of their lives in ill health and disability when compared with men. The Women’s Health Strategy for England aims to tackle this. The strategy sets out a six-point plan to boost health outcomes for all women and girls and radically improve the way in which the health and care system engages and listens to all women and girls.
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There is a small section on MSK conditions, which includes reference to osteoporosis and fragility fractures. It also talks about addressing both the prevalence and disparities in MSK conditions such as osteoarthritis, back pain, inflammatory arthritis and osteoporosis.
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When it comes to pain, what’s right for children’s feet?
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People can hold strong beliefs on children’s foot health: from what is worn on the feet, to the use of orthoses. It all comes from a good place and wanting the best for children and young people.
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The most common scenario clinicians encounter is symptomatic flat feet. Despite beliefs, we are not sure what the best intervention for symptomatic flat feet is. This is challenging for clinicians when selecting best care and the offering advice to care givers.
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The Ostrich trial seeks to pragmatically find this out by comparing two common treatments.
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Health inequalities and Children and Young People
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For those with a general interest in health inequalities and children and young people, these resources may be of interest.
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ARMA chronic pain resources
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Earlier this year, ARMA published a suite of chronic pain resources to address the 15.5 million people and 81% of people with a musculoskeletal condition reporting being in chronic pain. Chronic (persistent or long-lasting or recurrent) pain is life-changing and can affect all parts of life. Chronic pain is linked to deprivation and health inequalities. For these reasons, chronic pain is important to the ARMA alliance of members.
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ARMA members have collaborated to produce these resources:
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This sets out what ARMA believes should be available in every area for people living with long term pain. Most of this provision needs to be delivered locally, as close as possible to people. We believe that every local health body (ICS, Health Board or Health and Social Care Trust) should have a plan for how this will be delivered. Read the "Core Offer".
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ARMA Chronic Pain Policy Position Paper
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The policy position paper makes recommendations for chronic pain including that more community-based approaches to pain should be developed to meet the needs of people with chronic pain. Multidisciplinary, networked, personalised approaches to pain should be standard.
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ARMA Calendar
| 10 August 2022 |
Deadline to sign petition to Government for FLS funding provision |
| 18 August 2022, 10am |
NASS Bristol branch stretch and cardio session with physiotherapist |
| 22 August 2022 |
Yoga for Joints, NRAS wellbeing course |
| 7 Sept 2022 |
Tripudio Movement, NRAS wellbeing course |
| 8 Sept 2022 |
Dance Movement, NRAS wellbeing course |
| 12–18 Sept 2022 |
NRAS RA Awareness Week |
| 23-25 Sept 2022 |
CCAA Family Residential Weekend, Peak District |
| 27 Sept 2022 |
AI in Orthopaedics conference (ORUK) |
| 28 Sept 2022, 1pm |
NASS Live: Sports and axial SpA with physiotherapist |
| 29 Sept 2022, 6-9pm |
Versus Arthritis MSK bitesize course |
| 5 Oct 2022 |
Meditation & Mindfulness, NRAS wellbeing course |
| 10 Oct 2022 |
Nutrition & Diet, NRAS wellbeing course |
| 19 Oct 2022 |
NOA Annual Members’ Conference, Birmingham |
| 20 Oct 2022, 6:30-8:30pm |
Versus Arthritis 'Is it inflammatory arthritis or fibromyalgia syndrome, or both?' |
| 2 Nov 2022, 6:30-8:30pm |
Versus Arthritis Core Skills in MSK care digital course |
| 5-6 Nov 2022 |
BCA Conference 2022 |
| 11-12 Nov 2022 |
PCRMM Annual Conference 2022 |
| 23–24 Nov 2022 |
Therapy Expo |
| 30 Nov 2022, 6:30-8:30pm |
Versus Arthritis Managing chronic pain in primary care course |
| 31 Dec 2022 |
NHS England closes to feedback on future clinical DST development |
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We know that many people value our newsletter, webinars and the fact that we provide a voice for MSK health. We are increasingly asked: given that our membership is made up of organisations, how can an individual support ARMA? For this reason, we have set up a new supporter scheme.
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