20 January 2021
We'd like to remind our members of the resources available to you from British Society for Rheumatology (BSR), as well as from the NHS and NICE to support services during this pandemic, and in particular during the second wave.
Guide on managing rheumatology services with reduced capacity
This explains how services can be managed based on the current impact of COVID-19 and constraints, such as staffing levels and access to other key elements of practice such as imaging and infusion services.
NHS England and Improvement clinical guide on the management of rheumatology patients
This aims to help departments continue essential care for patients while supporting the wider hospital and community to provide care for people with COVID-19. This includes a detailed table explaining how to prioritise services based on available hospital resources in the context of the pandemic.
NICE rapid COVID-19 guidelines
These are regularly updated as new evidence becomes available. They aim to balance patient safety, while making the best use of NHS resources throughout the pandemic; basically, they tell you what you need to stop and start doing during the pandemic.
Service guidance
Public Health England (PHE) has a Psychological First Aid digital training module, aimed at all frontline and essential workers and volunteers. This training module aims to increase awareness and confidence to provide psychosocial support to those affected by COVID-19. The course is free and no previous qualifications are required.
Patient resources
Produced by the MSK leadership group (BSR, the British Orthopaedic Association, the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, Versus Arthritis and Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance) and supported by NHS England and Improvement.
We’re here to support individual services in any way we can, so please get in touch by emailing us.