Skills gap and an ageing population are a recipe for disaster, says Education for Health

17 January 2012

A study involving Education for Health, and published today in the Practice Nursing Journal, highlights the stark gap between the needs of patients with long term musculoskeletal conditions and the training levels of staff who manage them. The wide ranging survey of more than 180 practice nurses discovered that the vast majority (79%) felt, at best, moderately confident in dealing with patients with musculoskeletal conditions. Across a range of musculoskeletal conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis, nurses reported significant gaps in knowledge and confidence.

This knowledge gap has wide ranging implications. Efforts to screen for such conditions are diminished, leading to less early intervention and worse outcomes for patients who present at later stages in the progress of their conditions. It also leads to a greater burden on other areas of the health service with 87% of nurses asked saying they refer joint pain to a GP when they could, with adequate training, deal with the problem themselves.

Education for Health’s Chief Executive Monica Fletcher who penned the report, said of the findings;

“The knowledge gap that exists around musculoskeletal conditions is having a significant impact on our management of these conditions nationally. These conditions are primarily conditions of old age and with the UK’s elderly population set to increase by more than 5 million over the next 20 years and to double by 2050 now is the time to tackle them head on. Only through greater training can adequate screening be ensured and an effective, proactive strategy for dealing with musculoskeletal conditions be developed.”

This sentiment is echoed in the research with 98% of those surveyed saying they would benefit from further training in musculoskeletal conditions. The full article can be read here

< Back