We are coming to the end of what has been I think the
busiest year ever for NRAS and I think I speak for the whole team when I say we
are looking forward to the Christmas break and being able to re-charge
batteries, catch up on sleep and have a rest from emails for a while! I love
Christmas, but what I hate is the stress that automatically comes with it!
I was up till 1.45 am this morning, chanting Bah Humbug,
desperately trying to finish Christmas cards so that they have a chance of
being delivered before Christmas. I have probably failed completely for the
overseas cards and my brother and family definitely won’t get their presies
till New Year! I have a cousin who usually has all her cards and presents done
and dusted by the end of October which I just don’t seem to be able to get near
to, however much I might aspire to it!
However, when I look back, we have made huge progress this
year on many fronts and in the midst of the most massive re-organisation of the
NHS since its inception. Next year, at some point – probably towards the end of
the year - we will see a major national audit on early RA which all
rheumatology units will have to complete about their service and this is most
welcome as it will help to drive wider implementation of the NICE RA Guidelines
which we shall all be happy about. The Quality Standard in RA will be published
in June/July which GP commissioners will be using to bench mark the quality of
services being provided. Watch out for the public consultation in January – we
will be flagging this on our website. And, in addition, in 2013/14 RA
indicators will be introduced to the GP Quality Outcomes Framework which should
help to drive shared care with GPs. We are very much involved in piloting a
Patient Reported Experience Measure for use by rheumatology units in RA and the
pilots will start giving these questionnaires out in clinic from January so if
you attend a unit which is part of the pilot scheme, you may well be asked to
fill out a survey to feedback, anonymously, about your experience of care in
that unit. A chance for the patient voice to be heard!
The NRAS team will be back in the office on the 2nd
ready to help you in any way we can in 2013. I’m going into hospital for a
right knee replacement on the 28th December by which time after the
Christmas celebrations with family, I shall be ready for a rest!!
On behalf of everyone at NRAS, may I wish you and yours a
very Happy Christmas and all you would wish for yourself in 2013. Thank you for
supporting NRAS in 2012 by contributing to our social media and blogging sites,
we look forward to hearing from you all in 2013!
Ailsa Bosworth
CEO
NRAS
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