British Health Professionals in Rheumatology
Strategic Plan 2008-2011
Focussing on the multi-disciplinary team
We believe that the multidisciplinary team [MDT] offers the best means of providing high
quality care for people with musculoskeletal conditions. Our Strategic Plan for 2008-11
sets out how BHPR plans to focus its work to help achieve our vision of a society in which
all people with musculoskeletal conditions have access to the high quality care
provided by the MDT.
Our mission is:
To unite and support members of the MDT in delivering best quality care which meets the
needs of individuals with musculoskeletal conditions.
Our goals are:
1.
That the key role of the MDT is understood and reflected in policy and service
planning
We will work to achieve this by:
 Promoting the key role of the MDT to influencers and decision-makers
 Building the evidence base for the MDT approach
2.
That members of the MDT have access to the knowledge, skills and tools
needed to deliver best quality care
We will work to achieve this by:
 Providing high quality educational opportunities for the MDT
 Promoting best practice eg via guidelines, audit tools and a strong ‘learning’
network of MDT practitioners
3.
That members of the MDT have a voice through an effective, sustainable
organisation
We will work to achieve this by:
 Developing strong governance, management and representation
arrangements
 Working towards financial independence
Priorities for future work
BHPR has very limited resources – in terms of volunteer & staff time and finances.
Despite this, we have achieved a great deal in recent years. Our high quality educational
events, bursaries and prizes and other networking opportunities have helped members of
the MDT develop their skills and knowledge; our policy and influencing work has helped
ensure that the role of the MDT is reflected in key policy initiatives such as the Dept of
Health’s Musculoskeletal Services Framework, ARMA’s Standards of Care and a range of
professional guidelines.
Our new Plan does not propose major changes to our work programme, but it calls for a
sharper focus for our resources. Our key priorities for the next 3 years will be:
Making the case for the MDT. Changes in the NHS mean this is a time of both
opportunity and threat for the rheumatology MDT. We need to ensure those making
decisions about rheumatology services – at national and local level – recognise the crucial
role that the MDT plays in supporting people with musculoskeletal conditions.
Developing our research capacity. There is a clear need to build the evidence base for
the MDT, and to support those individuals who are working on research. We want to
facilitate this work, starting with a stronger research network.
Developing our education ‘services’. Our educational opportunities – including
conferences, courses, bursaries and prizes - allow members of the MDT to learn
alongside each other, in a unique multidisciplinary environment. We believe there is
potential to expand our ‘services’ over the next few years so that more health
professionals are able to benefit from this approach.
Putting patients’ needs at the heart of our work. We believe the patient is the key
member of the MDT; indeed, our members have a strong tradition of listening to and
involving their patients in all aspects of the care. Historically we have worked with their
organisations in a fairly limited way. We want to build strong partnerships with patient
organisations so that we can better support people living with musculoskeletal conditions.
Improving our sustainability. In order to continue to represent our community, we need
to become more sustainable. This means growing our membership base, increasing our
income and improving both our governance and our communication.
What does this mean for our members and partners?
We will continue to carry out our main programme of activities:
 Educational opportunities – conferences, courses, prizes and benefits
 Professional updates such as guidelines
 Policy work to influence decision-makers & service planners – most often through
our membership of alliances or consortia
However, with the new focus outlined in this Strategic Plan, we hope our members and
partners, will also benefit from:
 More educational opportunities and opportunities to network with other members of
the MDT
 New work to promote and facilitate research
 Better communication and more effective representation
 More opportunities for members to get involved in our work
 A stronger network of MDT practitioners and researchers from across all
professions in the team
How we will work
Just as the MDT relies on the partnership approach, so does BHPR. With our limited
resources, we can best achieve our aims by working in alliance with other organisations in
our field. We plan to strengthen our current alliances, and build new ones, for example
with patient organisations and professional groups outside rheumatology. We also want
to improve how we engage with our own community and stakeholders, starting with
gathering your views on this plan.
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