UK Wide Referral options for your patients

Did you know that Arthritis UK runs a wide range of free, UK-wide Online Information and Support Talks for people living with arthritis and other MSK conditions?

We know how difficult it is to cover everything a patient needs in a short 10 minute consultation—especially when it comes to ongoing self-management, pacing, and emotional wellbeing. Our online sessions are set up to support the work you do in clinic by giving your patients direct access to reliable information, practical self-management strategies, and peer support right from home.

Session Formats to Suit Different Needs

Not everyone wants the same level of involvement or needs the same format, so we run different formats throughout the week across mornings, afternoons, and evenings:

• 1-Hour Information Talks: A straightforward webinar format focused purely on delivering practical information and symptom management strategies. Attendees can simply sit back and listen without any pressure to speak or turn cameras on.
• 2-Hour Information & Peer Support Sessions: A blend of practical learning and small-group discussions where patients can meet others who understand what it's like living with persistent symptoms.
• Monthly Connect & Chat: A casual, friendly drop-in online meetup focused entirely on community and peer support.
• 5-Week Living Well Programme: A structured multi-week course that gives people space to build sustainable routines, set realistic goals, and work on longterm pacing techniques.
• Chi Me Sessions: Gentle movement taster sessions based on Tai Chi principles. Everything can be done seated or standing, making it an ideal starting point for patients who are nervous about moving or worried about triggering a flare-up.

Key Topics Covered

Our talks and workshops focus on the day-to-day challenges people tell us matter most:

• Managing Pain: Looking at how the pain cycle works, pacing, practical day-today adjustments, and tips on how to talk openly with healthcare teams about pain levels.
• Fatigue and Sleep: Realistic energy management, understanding fatigue triggers, and practical ways to improve sleep routines.
• Mental Wellness: Practical coping strategies and tools to help manage the low mood, stress, and anxiety that so often accompany chronic pain.
• Condition Overviews (e.g., Fibromyalgia, Introduction to Arthritis): Clear explanations, busting common myths, and breaking down self-management into manageable first steps.
• Working with Arthritis: Navigating the workplace, asking for reasonable adjustments, and understanding what statutory support is available.

Why Point Your Patients in Our Direction?

• Better Conversations in Clinic: When patients understand their symptoms and triggers better, follow-up reviews tend to be much more focused and productive.
• Building Movement Confidence: Taster sessions like Chi Me give people an easy, accessible way to start moving again without the fear of overdoing it.
• Completely Free & Accessible: Because everything is delivered online, there are no travel barriers or costs, making support accessible to anyone across the UK.
• Increased Understanding of condition: Over 70% of people who attended a 1 or 2 hour session reported an increased understanding of their condition
• Reduced Impact of their condition – Nearly 75% of attendees reported a reduced impact of their condition
• Knowledge of where to get information to manage their condition – Over 85% of people reported they better understood where to get the information they need to manage their condition.

How to Signpost

Directing a patient takes less than a minute during an appointment or annual review:

• Direct Booking: Patients can browse all upcoming dates and register directly via our online information sessions page.
• Send via Text: Pop the booking link straight into your post-consultation text message (e.g., via practice messaging tool) when discussing lifestyle or self management plans.
• Additional Support: If online sessions aren't their thing, remind them they can always call our free Helpline on 0800 5200 520 or chat with AVA (the Arthritis Virtual Assistant) on the website.

Bringing these sessions into your routine signposting gives your patients reliable, continuous support between their clinical appointments.