British Society for Rheumatology Annual Review 2015
How well did we do in 2015 Membership continues to expand Members in over
50
countries
A bumper year for events Over
Over
attendees at largest ever spring conference in Manchester
abstract submissions
2,150 500
Biggest ever Autumn Conference in Birmingham
More diverse than ever:
Podiatrists Trainees Physiotherapists AHP’s Consultants Students Paediatricians Nurses Therapists Researchers Occupational therapists and more!
98%
said they would recommend membership to others Integration with
BHPR and BSPAR:
representing the entire rheumatology community Top voted benefits Clinical Guidelines Rheumatology/MSK Journal Member exclusive discounts
3 | BSR Annual Review 2015
93%
94%
50
92%
would recommend spring conference to colleagues
Over
new lectures added to the eLearning platform
3,406
unique users to the eLearning website in 2015
said conference was a key date in their diary
said would change their practice after attending Autumn Conference
50%
Over
of eLearning users based internationally
New education courses on nailfold capillaroscapy and non-clinical learning for trainee doctors
50%
100%
First ever joint event with the Royal College of Nursing
Partnership with the Indian Rheumatology Association (Karnataka Chapter) for a 2 day conference in Bangalore
increase in education course attendees in 2015
BSR presence at ACR, EULAR and Ten Topics
of attendees rated education courses as excellent/good
5? The numbers have spoken... Policy, Clinical Affairs and Registers
Rheumatology journal makes a bigger impact
Guidelines is the third most visited section of BSR website
Impact factor increases to
96%
14th
Two thirds of members have altered
Exceeded
satisfaction rate for clinical guidelines
clinical practice to align with guidelines
70%
of members felt BSR policy influenced national decision making
24,000 patients recruited to the registers
88%
of members agree BSR policy is an independent expert voice for rheumatology
BSR continued to promote clinical knowledge globally
BSR continued to grow its media presence in 2015 rts Public o p p u s R BS gland Health En on n campaig arthritis d i o t a m u rhe
4 | BSR Annual Review 2015
2.5
4.475
year of the RA Biologics register
Hitting the headlines
Over
Readers in over
385
100 countries
85%
articles published in 2015
of members rate the title as excellent/good
62%
of members altered clinical practice after reading
mes BSR welco opean n of Eur publicatio er on White Pap Healthcare Sustainable
BS anno R u integ nces ra of BS tion PAR
million article downloads in 2015
Even more free podcasts, videos and editorials A whopping
65%
of members have submitted a paper for consideration
BSR di
sappo i NICE m nted that i oppor tunity sses t patien o improve t care
Articles featured in a wide range of medical press, including Healio, The BMJ, The Lancet, Medpage Today and The Huffington Post.
British Society for Rheumatology Annual Review 2015
Communications
326,630 number of views BSR website received in 2015 increase since 2014
2%
162,846 44% of users were new visitors 2.4% increase since 2014
number of sessions 11% increase since 2014
Top 5 search terms
Contents Care for the 21st Century… 6 Influence and policy 8 Membership 10 Opportunities to learn from each other 12 Promoting expertise and understanding 14 Pushing the boundaries of research 16 Building a new future 18 Rheumatology Journal 20
1. Gout 2. Methotrexate 3. Fibromyalgia 4. Rheumatoid arthritis 5. Biosimilars
428 ♥ 649
tweets sent
656
likes 49% increase from 2014
retweets of BSR tweets 3% increase from 2014
Over
1,080 2,000 links clicked
followers and growing every day
“ Early in the history of the NHS, surgery and antibiotics were the transformative areas of medical progress. Today it is genomics and biologics. Rheumatology is pushing at the boundaries of medical science. What an exciting time.” Professor Simon Bowman President, BSR
enewsletters more popular than ever, open and click through rates increased in 2015 Source: BSR membership survey and BSR analytics. BSR Annual Review 2015 | 5
Five reasons why being a member of BSR is more important than ever before: One: BSR is building a clinical model that will pioneer new patient care strategies for the 21st century Two: BSR has best practice models, guidelines and standards to help keep members at the cutting edge Three: BSR is leading and communicating key research into new treatments and drugs as they are developed Four: BSR is plugged into policy makers in Government and in the NHS, lobbying hard on your behalf Five: BSR runs conferences, events and seminars to ensure that members are presented with the very latest ideas and research.
Care for the 21st Century… “ Arthritis affects 10m people in this country…The British Society for Rheumatology is campaigning for the Government to create greater public awareness of the problem when people go to see their GP.” D avid Amess (MP Southend West) in Parliament, following a meeting with Professor Simon Bowman
Another year comes around. We have been so busy. It is tough to select what to highlight from the many achievements in 2015. Much of what we have done has already proved invaluable in our ability to shape national debate in these challenging times. The next five years will be crucial as the NHS pushes forward with its programme for change as outlined in the NHS Five Year Forward View and the Vanguard initiative. We have been working hard to have a say in how that change is managed. BSR’s work through the National Clinical Audit, the Biologics Registers and related research has helped us build a very strong social and economic case for a growing NHS investment in the treatment of rheumatic and musculoskeletal disorders. And we will continue to make that case. Lobbying the NHS and attending commissioning events across the country. You may have read the first annual report on the findings of the National Clinical Audit. It showed – in hard numbers - the variation in GP referral speeds across the country and the importance that early referrals can have in patient care. Not just in the relief of suffering, but also in the avoidance of the kind of permanent physical damage that means that patients are less likely to be able to return to work. It is powerful reading.
6 | BSR Annual Review 2015
We have also been working hard on patient engagement. 2015 has seen BSR set up a new patient partners group, drawing on the representatives from many different organisations. The 2016 annual conference will have a patient event for the first time and patients will be attending in parallel with the main sessions. What is absolutely clear though, is the strength and commitment of BSR membership. The annual conference and autumn conference in 2015 gave me another opportunity to meet many of you. It is a powerful motivator to know that we are representing so many talented and dedicated health professionals. It is wonderful that having integrated British Health Professionals in Rheumatology (BHPR) last year, I can now welcome members of the British Society for Paediatric and Adolescent Rheumatology (BSPAR) to this amazing society. BSR is becoming a very powerful voice in the healthcare community. With your continued support, the society can drive further improvements in patient care and build a better future for us all. Professor Simon Bowman President
The pace of change in healthcare provision, and also within BSR, has been breath-taking. We have all felt it. At times it has been exhausting. The opportunity to pause and take stock is very welcome. BSR is building a new kind of clinical society for the 21st century. Together with the NHS, we are making a new patient-centred care model to care for those with rheumatic and musculoskeletal disorders. One that is being closely watched across the UK and throughout the world. This year we have welcomed the British Society for Paediatric and Adolescent Rheumatology (BSPAR) into the fold. The result is a new type of clinical organisation that works across the entire patient pathway and, now, encompasses a whole life cycle approach. Rheumatic and musculoskeletal disorders are chronic, complex conditions that present significant challenges of care transition. With the addition of BSPAR, BSR is unique among medical societies in its ability to drive integrated care standards and guidelines for patients of all ages. We have been working hard to ensure everyone in public health understands what needs to be done. We have lobbied parliament and initiated debate at Prime Minister’s Question Time. We have been in continuous consultation with NHS England and have
been driving the work of the Rheumatology Expert Advisory Group. Not to mention our support for a new BSR Patient Partners Group, the publication of the National Audit report, a new report on Care In Scotland and much more besides. Heavily influenced by the feedback you gave us in the membership surveys, 2016 will bring the publication of many new reports: Our plans to help people with chronic conditions get back in to the workforce. Best Practice Awards 2016. And lessons from Sweden on the patient benefits of integrated IT systems which form the basis of BSR national database planning. We will continue this work of leadership through communication. Five years ago BSR was a fairly low profile, wellfunded medical charity. Today we are building on the great work of the past to shape something new. A society that is leading debate, setting policy, guiding research and encouraging engagement. All of that is down to your dedication and resolve as members. I see a very exciting future. We can all look forward to making that happen together. Laura Guest Chief Executive Officer
“We will work to improve awareness and understanding of arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions and highlight the role played by the multidisciplinary team in delivering high quality care to patients.”
BSR Annual Review 2015 | 7
Influence and policy “ The work of BSR is becoming a mainstay in the promotion and awareness of clinical needs as it relates to the treatment of rheumatic and musculoskeletal conditions.” Miguel Souto Head of Policy
The society continues to develop as the single authoritative voice of clinicians and healthcare professionals involved in the treatment of rheumatic and musculoskeletal disorders. It has, during 2015, worked hard at informing public discussion and high level policy making in healthcare. Its work in the presentation of policy papers, clinical research, patient care consultation and best practice has helped to shape debate and drive better understanding. This work is vital as it helps people understand the importance of prioritising the treatment of rheumatic and musculoskeletal disorders and enables resources to be better directed toward the future needs of the healthcare environment. There were a number of firsts for the society in 2015. BSR submitted evidence to a House of Commons Committee for the first time. The ‘Health Select Committee enquiry into the Primary Care Workforce’ took place in 2015. The society presented a written submission that examined the need to improve collaboration between primary and secondary care and emphasised the patient care benefits that arise from early diagnosis. The submission was referred to in the resulting report ‘Primary Care Workforce Commission 2015’. The society also held its first parliamentary event at Portcullis House to discuss work and health issues. The event provided a first opportunity to present findings from the National Clinical Audit for Rheumatoid and Early Inflammatory Arthritis. Attending were 50 representatives from patient groups, clinicians and parliamentarians. There were three presentations including one from the Work Foundation. A follow up report was published by BSR summarising the key findings from the day. BSR also published its first major policy report in 2015, ‘The State of Play in UK Rheumatology’. No other organisation has published a report quite like it, drawing on the experience of members. The report was launched at the annual conference.
8 | BSR Annual Review 2015
The report was a UK wide report, but work is already underway on a number of devolved nation equivalents. A Scottish report will be published in 2016, with Welsh and Northern Irish reports to follow. The report has been extremely useful in securing meetings with key players and stakeholders at a high level in the NHS. BSR hosted the ‘National Rheumatology and Rare Conditions; Adopting a Collaborative Approach to Orphan Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases’ workshop in November 2015. The event provided an overview of the status of specialist rheumatology services and rare RMD pathway. Speakers included representatives from primary care, specialist clinicians, patient groups, NHS England and Public Health England. Other events and meetings throughout the year included ARMA Policy and Communications, National Voices Long Term Conditions and Public Affairs, Specialised Health Alliance, RCN Policy Exchange, Coalition for Collaborative Care, Chronic Pain Policy Coalition, Fit For Work UK and AbbVie on Devo Manc. The society was also consulted by NHS England for its work on ‘Clinical Commissioning Policy Biological Therapies for the Treatment of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis’ and by the Department of Health ‘Consultation on the Implementation of the Recommendations, Principle and Actions Set Out in the Report of the Freedom to Speak Up Review’. Overseas we continued to work closely with ACR and EULAR. The society continues to issue reports and statements on vital issues. 2015 saw the production of policy positions on biosimilars, commissioning, personal health budgets, person centred care, physician associates and the secondary care role within clinical commissioning groups.
67%
of members stated that BSR guidelines have had a major influence on national decision making Membership survey 2015
A great deal of hard work has gone into setting up BSR’s Patient Partners Group, chaired by Homaira Khan. The group consists of 12 patient representatives, including representation from national patient organisations. Representatives have experience of rheumatic and musculoskeletal conditions and have been active for some time in raising awareness of patient needs among the public and clinical communities. The Patient Partners Group meets twice a year and keeps in constant touch throughout the year. Already the group has had key inputs into guidelines, BSR patient leaflets, Best Practice Award visits, conference planning, media training and general policy review. The group also met for a workshop on personal health budgets, which resulted in a published paper for use in consultation with active patient groups across the UK.
“ We are seeing something wonderful starting here through the new BSR Patient Partners Group. The work of the group and the commitment of BSR will help us push forward radical improvements in patient care” H omaira Khan Chair of BSR Patient Partners Group
BSR Annual Review 2015 | 9
Membership British Society for Rheumatology
BSR is building a new model for clinical societies. Following the integration with BHPR and BSPAR, the society now is able to support patient care across the whole life-cycle. There have always been challenges in the transition from child to adult care. There have also been disparities between the support and status that nurses and other healthcare professionals have received. The society can now tackle all those issues head on, ensuring that NHS commissioning groups and the general public are increasingly aware of the crucial work that has to be done in the care of those with rheumatic and musculoskeletal disorders.
N
U LT S
E
ILDR H C
E
SC
ENTS
Umbrella section for AHPs and nurses
L
AD
ADO
BHPR at BSR
Membership types Consultant Rheumatologists Paediatric Consultants Trainees Paediatric Medical Trainees Nurses Allied Health Professionals GP’s Scientists (Clinical and Non-Clinical) Academics/Researchers Physiotherapists Podiatrists Occupational Therapists Pharmacists Psychologists
Membership breakdown 4% 4% 10% 11%
4.5%
4.7% 15%
1.5%
Health professionals
42%
20%
‘others’ are illustrated in brown
10 | BSR Annual Review 2015
1.3%
10%
1%
13%
Adult rheumatology 78%
Paediatric rheumatology 19% 20%
38%
The BSR Guidelines are recognised as one of the keys to effective modern health and medical practice in the treatment of rheumatic and musculoskeletal disorders. As experts in rheumatology, the society offers support to commissioners in the NHS, helping to find ways to transform care, improve clinical outcomes and offer value to patients and the taxpayer. The British Society for Rheumatology, together with the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS) and Arthritis Care, has formed the Musculoskeletal Solutions Alliance. The group offers support to commissioning bodies, guidance to other medical bodies, and advice to providers to help them win tenders. This important work on commissioning is being rolled out across the regions.
BSPAR at BSR Paediatric and adolescent section
On 4 November 2015, BSR hosted the inaugural meeting of the Midlands Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Commissioning network. The network aims to provide opportunities to exchange knowledge, showcase local innovative models of care, facilitate access to data resources and promote collaboration. This event has set the blueprint for future commissioning events across BSR regions, with meetings planned for 2016 in Yorkshire, Humber & the North East; London; South West; East of England in addition to a second Midlands meeting. Making a difference Our committee work is the engine that drives BSR’s successes. All the committees are made up of BSR, BHPR and BSPAR members, together with patient representatives and specialists from other fields. They carry out the work that enables the society to meet its aims, objectives and deliver on its strategic plan.
BSR Special Interest Groups (SIGs) A forum for members to connect, network and collaborate with other experts in their specialist field. •A dolescent and young adult (AYA) •A HP MSK •a rc/BSR education •A rthroscopy in rheumatology • BHPR osteoporosis • BHPR RA •C ardiovascular comorbidity in rheumatoid arthritis • Foot and ankle •G enetics of rheumatic disease •H eritable disorders of connective tissue • Information technology • Interstitial lung disease •M -S health of the ethnic minority • Musculoskeletal pain • Musculosketal ultrasound • Myositis • Osteoarthritis • Osteoporosis •P olymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritis •P sychosocial research in arthritis • RA outcomes • Scleroderma • Sjögren’s syndrome •S oft tissue rheumatism and sports medicine • Spondyloarthritis •S ystemic lupus erythematosus • Vasculitis BSR Special Interest Groups provide a valuable resource to our members, giving a unique and unparalleled insight into their specialisms. Each group is run individually by convenors who manage and organise meetings, information and proposals on behalf of the groups. Each year, BSR invites the special interest groups to submit proposals for sessions with the annual conference programme.
BSR Annual Review 2015 | 11
Opportunities to learn from each other “ The annual conference is essential, covering all of rheumatology and the newest findings. There is a chance to hear from and meet experts in the field and network.” Hafiz Hassan Rheumatology trainee
The Rheumatology 2015 Conference in Manchester was the society’s biggest and most successful so far. Over 2100 people attended to benefit from a wide range of educational, professional development and networking opportunities. The conference is a highpoint of the rheumatology calendar for BSR members, with nearly 50% of members attending most years. An increase of 5% on five years ago. It was also very exciting to welcome the involvement of the British Society of Immunology at conference for the first time, who co-badged four sessions. The conference welcomed a prominent lineup of speakers covering key topics in the field. These included: Professor Sir Mark Walport Government Chief Scientific Advisor gave a broad ranging talk on current government objectives, promotion of well-being, knowledge communication, the NHS Five Year Forward View and the implication of an ageing population for patient care.
Professor David D’Cruz gave the Heberden Round talk on the clinical management of lupus, bowel flora and dermatology. Professor David Scott gave the Heberden Oration keynote on an historical perspective of the treatment of arthritis, rheumatism and musculoskeletal diseases, ranging from the 19th century through to the modern era. Susan Oliver OBE gave the Droitwich Medical Trust Lecture. She looked at the changing landscape of rheumatology in the past 15 years. She described a world where the pace of change continued to increase, and nurses together with allied healthcare professionals would be required to take on new responsibilities and lead on new treatments. At the AGM the society welcomed BSR President Elect, Dr Peter Lanyon and the BHPR President Elect, Dr Jill Firth. New fees were introduced, including reduced fees for trainees and students.
Annual conference in numbers
2,177 550 8 43 Delegates attending from
Delegates at
countries
51
Exhibiting companies
12 | BSR Annual Review 2015
sell-out Innovation sessions
766 6
Over
Delegates at Symposia sessions
80
presentation sessions
85 18 430 24,300 ePosters
RCP CPD points
Posters
Twitter views
93%
ttending of people a l the annua e agreed c n re fe con a that it was e event worthwhil to attend
96%
of people attend ing the Autumn Confer ence would recomm end the conference to a colleague Membership survey
2015
The 2015 Autumn Conference was held in Birmingham in October. It followed the two day format, focusing on interactive case studies presented by members in sessions led by acknowledged world experts. Four key topics were explored. •M etabolic bone disease Convened by Professor Eugene McCluskey •S pondyloarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis Convened by Professor Peter Taylor •S ystemic lupus erythematosus Convened by Professor Caroline Gordon •S jögren’s syndrome Convened by Dr Elizabeth Price Other highlights included a presentation on ‘Hughes Syndrome – Antisphospholipid Syndrome – 30 years on’ from Professor Graham Hughes and a well attended debate, ‘Biosimilars are effective and safe and should immediately replace innovator molecules in the NHS,’ chaired by Dr Sanjeev Patel. Almost 300 people attended the conference this year. They heard 28 case study presentations. There were also 14 exhibitors and 55 posters available for attending delegates. A new initiative this year was live online streaming of the conference sessions, attracting delegates from the UK, Ireland, Cyprus, New Zealand, Ukraine, Singapore, India, Bahrain, Brazil and Colombia.
“ Liverpool was great but Manchester was stupendous!” G bajie Nnamdi Peter Ternopil State Medical University in Ukraine
BSR Annual Review 2015 | 13
Promoting expertise and understanding “ We will make it easier for patients, clinicians and policy makers around the world to obtain the depth and quality of information they need on rheumatology.” Irena Goldwag Head of Events and Marketing
Supporting self-management of osteoarthritis “I enjoyed the group dynamic – bouncing ideas and seeing how different wording affected patient responses” The course gave nurses and allied health professionals the confidence to implement the NICE guidelines on core treatments for Osteoarthritis (OA). •1 00% thought the speakers were excellent. •1 00% rated the course content very good •1 00% felt more confident in supporting patients with OA after attending the course. Other 2015 courses include: • The Essentials of Gout • Understanding the wider world of the NHS • Basic Ultrasound • BSR Core Skills in Rheumatology The society runs a world acknowledged educational programme to promote professional development and to keep members up to date with the very latest advances and best practice. 2015 saw eight courses held in cities across the UK. Overall there were almost 200 course registrations for the 2015 educational programme. Highlights included: Nailfold capillaroscopy “Today courses like this are so important to learn how other rheumatologists perform techniques” This one day course provided a detailed overview of nailfold capillaroscopy, including diagnostic guidance, clinical examples and research applications. Attendees had the chance to learn from clinical and technical experts the relative merits of various capillaroscopy devices, and there was a focus on practical, hands-on sessions with a number of microscopes and volunteers. • 100% of delegates rated the course as very good • 100% said they would recommend it to a colleague • 88% said the quality of the sessions showing you how to use the machines were excellent.
14 | BSR Annual Review 2015
• Myositis Masterclass The society continues to operate its pioneering eLearning facility. Members and health professionals continue to use the online education tool in record numbers. The eLearning platform is of pivotal importance for our international members, allowing them to access leading education materials and view lectures from world experts. In addition to the 200 available lectures from leading clinicians and medical researchers, members can also engage with four specially designed CPD modules: • Ultrasound Guided Injections • Update on Vasculitis • Clinical Decision Making in Osteoporosis • Clinical Decision Making in Rheumatoid Arthritis
83%
embers of BSR m rning ea using eL mmend co e r ld wou rce to u o s e the r lleagues their co hip survey
Members
88%
of BHPR mem bers using eLearn ing find the onli ne tool easy to use
2015
The society continues to support the hard work and achievements of clinicians, researchers and healthcare professionals. Each year a number of awards and prizes are presented with the specific aim of encouraging research excellence and innovation in patient care. Practitioners engaged with rheumatic and musculoskeletal disorders, in the UK and across the world are recognised. Over £30,000 of prizes, innovation awards and bursaries were presented by BSR in 2015. These included bursaries for ultrasound training, attendance at the annual conference, attendance at the EULAR Annual Congress, attendance at the American College of Rheumatology Annual Meeting and a number of other AHP awards. Garrod Prize – Dr Elizabeth Rosser, University College London Michael Mason Prize – Professor Wan-Fai Ng, Newcastle University Young Investigator Prize – Dr Maria Di Cicco, Queen Mary University London & Dr Sam Norton, Kings College London
Edwin Lim, Matt Cates, Alex Papou and Marian Chan were chosen as the beneficiaries of BSR 2015 Travelling Fellowship. This five day placement focused on the opportunity for an in-depth rheumatology experience at The Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, The Institute of Medical Sciences and the Institute of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Aberdeen. The society would like to thank everyone within the department of Rheumatology (NHS Grampian) and the University of Aberdeen who gave up their time to share their ideas and experience with these four young people.
BHPR Clinical Prize – Fidelma Gordon, East & North Hertfordshire NHS Trust Droitwich Lecture – Sue Oliver OBE Chris Moran Poster Prize – Rebecca Stack University of Birmingham & Jessica Gunn, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre BHPR student/recently qualified Health Professional Bursary – Miss Fani Avgoustaki University of the West of England
“ Seeing how everybody worked together to provide high level research and patient care was genuinely inspiring. The solidarity of knowledge and work is analogous to the cultural heritage and granite carved buildings within which the people of Aberdeen work and live.” BSR Travelling Fellowship beneficiary
BSR Annual Review 2015 | 15
Pushing the boundaries of research “ The National Clinical Audit for Rheumatoid and Early Inflammatory Arthritis has been very helpful for us as it has identified potential areas for improving the local service to patients with rheumatoid and early inflammatory arthritis” NHS Trust in the North of England region
A lynchpin of the society’s work is located in the promotion of research-driven understanding. Its work on the collection of clinical data, through its audits and registers, has been established for some time. The analysis of the gathered data has produced a range of scientific outputs – posters, papers and presentations at conferences around the UK, Europe and the world. This is a vital contribution to global understanding of the risk and benefits of biologics drugs, both for the doctors who prescribe them and the patients who have to use them The society is also set to reveal winners of the latest round of Best Practice Awards, having visited 20 sites that provided services across primary, secondary and community care in 2015. Each service was nominated for its innovative approach to the treatment of patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. An expert panel of assessors has looked at each service, identifying systems, processes and care programmes that can provide exemplars for providers and commissioners to use when assessing needs and aspirations for patient care provisions. 14 winners have been identified and posters on each will be on display at Rheumatology 2016. British Society for Rheumatology Biologics Registers (inlcuding biosimilars) The British Society for Rheumatology runs three registers of patients receiving biological treatments: BSR Rheumatoid Arthritis Register, BSR Ankylosing Spondylitis Register and the BSPAR Juvenile Inflammatory Arthritis Register. The registers monitor the safety of biologics and biosimilars, providing valuable information about their effects in long-term use.
16 | BSR Annual Review 2015
The BSRBR-RA is supported by the University of Manchester where the study is hosted. The BSRBRAS is supported by the University of Aberdeen. HQIP National Clinical Audit for Rheumatoid and Early Inflammatory Arthritis “Only 17% of patients were referred by their GP within three days of their first presentation of symptoms and a quarter of patients had to wait more than three months for a referral.” The first phase of the national audit was completed in 2015 having recruited over 6,300 patients and engaged with 97% of NHS trusts and health boards in England and Wales. It has been designed to help clinicians to improve their quality of care for patients and to facilitate improved services in partnership with their employers and commissioners, with data of comparative performance. Full results from the first annual report will be available at Rheumatology 2016. Each participating rheumatology service has received an advance copy of the report.
62%
Major research initiatives:
of BSR m embers h av changed their pra e ctice because of research the publishe d
HQIP National Clinical Audit for Rheumatoid and Inflammatory Arthritis
Members
hip survey
HQIP National Audit of Juvenile Inflammatory Arthritis
2015
BSRBR Biologics Register for Rheumatoid Arthritis BSRBR Biologics Register for Ankylosing Spondylitis BSPAR Register for Juvenile Inflammatory Arthritis
inical Audit National Cl id and Early to for Rheuma Ar thritis y or at Inflamm
5 2015) Report 201 – 30 April 1st Annual uary 2014 ction: 1 Febr (Data colle
A patie nt public gu and id Nationa e to the l for Rhe Clinical Audit umatoi d and E Inflamm arly ator y A rthritis 1st An nual Re
por t 20 (Data col 15 lection: 1 Februa
ry 2014 – 30 Apr il 2015 )
BSR Annual Review 2015 | 17
Building a new future “ This is an important step for rheumatology. Bringing the societies together will enable much greater influence at a national and local level, providing leadership on patient care for children and adults.” Laura Guest BSR Chief Executive Officer
For those that don’t know us well, the British Society for Paediatric and Adolescent Rheumatology (BSPAR) is a specialist society with membership open to all health care professionals involved in the care of children and adolescents with rheumatic and musculoskeletal disorders. Its aims are simple and clear. • To raise standards of patient care across the whole of the UK • To enhance the quality of training for healthcare professionals • To promote research into new and existing forms of treatment • To promote awareness of rheumatic and musculoskeletal conditions We have always worked closely with BSR. Our ambitions and aspirations have always been very similar. So it was not difficult to see a benefit of a merger between the two societies. That happened officially in the spring of 2015. BSPAR is small by comparison to BSR but it is very active in its work with parents and its close relationships with leading medical researchers in the field. We work very hard to ensure that young people have a voice on the work of the society and the impact of the research that is being undertaken at our specialist units at Great Ormond Street and UCH.
New initiatives currently running include the Joint Educational Project and the HQIP National Audit of Clinical Practice. Run through the BSPAR Parents Groups, the Joint Educational Project team is looking at providing guidance to schools on what they need to be doing to become more aware of the needs of children with rheumatic and musculoskeletal disorders. It is a very important outreach initiative. I am also very excited by the HQIP National Audit of Clinical Practice, which will mirror the amazing work that BSR have already done in this area. The result will be a new set of guidelines to ensure consistent standards of patient care across the country with a special emphasis on effective care transition. I am very excited about the future for the society following the merger. Together with BSR we can create a patient care environment that is fit for the 21st Century. Dr Clarissa Pilkington BSPAR President
“We will develop and promote standards of excellence to transform patient care and improve outcomes.”
18 | BSR Annual Review 2015
98%
rs would membe f of BHPR d the benefits o n es e s r m u er n recom ip to oth sionals h s r e b mem profes lthcare and hea tology a in rheum hip survey
Members
2015
As 2015 fades into the memory, it’s important to reflect on the successes and challenges faced. There’s no doubt that 2015 was a productive year. Our growing membership suggests our work is relevant and valued by members. Now that we are part of the BSR family, we have really started to see the benefits of this come through with much more in the pipeline for 2016 and beyond. As our ability has grown, so too has our ambition. Several pieces of our work in 2015 were simply beyond our capabilities prior to integration with BSR. For example: we’ve had questions asked in parliament; we’ve represented UK nurses and AHPs at events in the UK and the European Parliament, we’re leading work on frameworks for NHS England, and we are currently producing NICE endorsed guidelines for our members. Another highlight in 2015 was the publication of the first findings from the BSR National Clinical Audit for Rheumatoid and Early Inflammatory Arthritis. I know how much work members do on initiatives such as this. The resulting unique data provides powerful insight to key issues relating to patient care. With some additional work from the secretariat, we have for the first time mapped the composition of rheumatology MDTs across every unit in the UK and will now be able to monitor change going forward. Members have already told me of the power that this work gives them as they seek to protect and improve their services but I would encourage more members to make more of this important resource. Training and professional development continues to be at the heart of what we offer members. Continuing professional development is becoming increasingly important and, as NHS training budgets for nurses and allied health professionals have all but
disappeared, we have increased the number of training bursaries for members accordingly. We have also started to deliver local study days through the regional groups and these are proving to be very popular. The annual conference continues to be the main component of our CPD for many members and it remains ever popular. We have also increased the number and the breadth of our education and training courses over the last year, which have included expertise from the King’s Fund, Google, the Cabinet Office and many others. In addition to face to face courses, we are increasing our eLearning provision with more lectures available online and, after years of negotiating, we have also secured a pioneering course on inflammatory arthritis from the Open University. The course focuses on inflammatory arthritis, its treatment and patient care strategies. It has cost tens of thousands of pounds to develop and should become a core resource for the society on its launch in 2016. Delivering this work takes a lot of commitment from BHPR Council and its secretariat. I would like to thank them again for all the work they’ve conducted on behalf of the membership over the last year. Volunteering for BHPR Council provides unique insight, opportunity, and challenges. It is very rewarding work and I would encourage you to get involved either on Council, one of the other committees, or your regional group. As my term as president comes to an end, I’d like to welcome Dr Jill Firth, who becomes President at the AGM in 2016. Many of you will know Jill so I’m sure will share my confidence that we’ll be in safe hands. Dr Michael Backhouse BHPR President
BSR Annual Review 2015 | 19
Rheumatology “ A major source of valuable information about scientific advances in rheumatology.” r. David Felson MD MPH, Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology D Chair, Clinical Epidemiology Boston University
Rheumatology is an international peer reviewed academic journal publishing the highest quality scientific (basic and translational) and clinicalepidemiological papers on a wide range of paediatric and adult rheumatological and musculoskeletal conditions, including topics such as therapy, surgery, imaging and education. Rheumatology is the official journal of BSR and is ranked sixth out of 30 international, competing academic journals in the same field. It has a five year impact factor of 4.592. ‘Articulating Science and Care’ is the strapline for the journal. It captures what lies at its heart, providing a platform for medical researchers to share their findings with rheumatologists and scientists across the world. Rheumatology publishes original articles, concise reports, reviews, editorials, guidelines, case reports, clinical vignettes, letters and matters arising from published material. The journal takes pride in serving the global rheumatology community, as reflected by
20 | BSR Annual Review 2015
its contents, and editorial board. Rheumatology strives to provide highest quality peer review while aiming for a rapid publication of all papers both online and in print. Online usage of the journal continues to grow, through the embracing of video technology and social media. The journal broadcasts a guide to writing successful papers, in addition to interviews with the authors who have had their papers published.
Membership survey 2015
85%
of BSR members rated the journal good or very good
71%
of members said it helps improve patient treatment
69%
bmitted have su a paper
55%
use the Jo urnal as a researc h tool Membership
survey 2015
“ 2015 was another good year for Rheumatology, as reflected in our improved usage and impact factor. Rheumatology strives to cater for the broader rheumatology community, offering high quality papers on cutting edge clinical, translational and basic research. Rheumatology continues to explore innovative ways of disseminating information through its website and social media.� Prof Jacob M. van Laar Editor Rheumatology Journal
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The British Society for Rheumatology Bride House, 18–20 Bride Lane London EC4Y 8EE Tel: +44 (0)20 7842 0900 Fax: +44 (0)20 7842 0901 bsr@rheumatology.org.uk www.rheumatology.org.uk
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