Orthopaedic Research UK (ORUK), in association with the Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance (ARMA) has launched the MSK for the Workplace programme, focused on improving the MSK health of the working age population. It follows recent news that more than 2.5 million people are currently unemployed in the UK due to health-related issues, including back and neck pain, at a time when the government has made it clear that getting people back to work is central to its plans for economic growth.…
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Tag: working with arthritis
Economic Growth and Increased Productivity: Boosting the MSK Health of the Working Nation
Guest blog by Dr Arash Angadji, Chief Executive, Orthopaedic Research UK
The nation has a musculoskeletal (MSK) problem. As a society we have tended to focus on MSK issues relating to the ageing population, but the latest figures on the number of people not working in the UK due to long-term sickness (including poor MSK health) highlight how we need to start thinking of poor MSK health as a multi-generational challenge. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), more than two and a half million people are currently unemployed due to health-related issues, including back and neck pain.…
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Psychosocial factors and workplace MSK report
Psychosocial risks and work-related musculoskeletal disorders: exploring the links and prevention strategies
A new report explores the connections between psychosocial factors and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in the workplace using data from the latest European Working Conditions Survey and European Survey of Enterprises on New and Emerging Risks.
It finds that some psychosocial factors — such as working time, job security and support from management — have more of an impact on MSDs than factors related to socio-demographics, country or economic sector.…
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NOA wellbeing workshops
Using feedback from staff at member organisations, the National Orthopaedic Alliance developed a series of wellbeing workshops which kicked off in May. Upcoming sessions covering Spotting & Preventing Burnout and Resilience – Recharge the Inner Battery are being run for the NOA by Work Well Being.
Find out more about upcoming sessions on the NOA website.
NRAS Work survey
In July and August 2020, NRAS ran a survey asking about the impact of the Covid-19 lockdown on the working lives of people living with rheumatoid arthritis or another form of inflammatory arthritis.
The survey received 348 responses and a short report will be published next month. The overall picture is a concerning one: people reported that their career opportunities, in-work support and the understanding they experienced from colleagues and employers dropped slightly during lockdown. Asked about their expectations for the future, many expected this trend to get worse.…
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NICE guideline on workplace health
Workplace health: long-term sickness absence and capability to work
NICE published this final guideline on the NICE website. You can also find the supporting evidence, tools and resources as well as all the stakeholder comments NICE received during consultation and the responses to these comments.
The recommendations from this guideline have been included in the NICE Pathway on Managing long-term sickness absence and capability to work, which brings together everything NICE said on Workplace health: long-term sickness absence and capability to work in an interactive flowchart.…
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Conversation starters for MSD workplace discussions
A new resource on MSDs for workplaces – ‘Conversation Starters for workplace discussions on musculoskeletal disorders’ – is now available online from the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA).
This is an Occupational safety and health (OSH) resource for running workplace group discussions on MSDs and their prevention. Each activity includes an MSD scenario and a series of questions to facilitate discussion.
The discussion activities also cover raising MSD issues promptly with your employer, and how to speak with your employer/employee about an individual MSD problem, including an RMD – see conversation starters 9 to 12.…
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BDA Work Ready
Corresponding to ARMA’s Construction Roundtable and the report we published at the end of May, the British Dieticians’ Association would like to direct those interested to their BDA Work Ready programme, which is aimed at all employers, including the construction industry: www.bdaworkready.co.uk.
NHS People Plan
One major criticism of the NHS Long Term Plan was the lack of any detail on workforce. This detail has begun to emerge with the publication of the Interim People Plan for the NHS. It looks at the need to transform the way the entire workforce, including doctors, nurses, allied health professionals (AHPs), pharmacists, healthcare scientists, dentists, non-clinical professions, social workers in the NHS, commissioners, non-executives and volunteers, work together. It works on the basis that multi-professional clinical teams will be the foundation of the future workforce, rather than treating the workforce as a group of separate professions.…
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Construction Roundtable report – Action is needed
Action is needed to tackle £646 million burden of bone, joint and muscle problems, a new ARMA report says.
Industry leaders called for action to tackle the huge burden of bone, joint and muscle conditions on people in the construction industry, in a report released today (30/05/2019). Physically demanding work means the construction industry has one of the highest rates of musculoskeletal disorders costing £646 million every year – accounting for over three-quarters of all occupational ill-health costs.
The report from the Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance (ARMA) followed a roundtable meeting of industry leaders.…
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