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Arthritis Care’s new Get a Grip report highlights that, despite spending £4.76 billion on musculoskeletal diseases (MSDs) every year – the fourth highest area of NHS spending – there is no clear leadership and no concrete measures of success in the treatment and management of people with MSDs.
Arthritis Care, supported by Professor Paul Emery, president of the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR), is calling on the Department of Health in England to radically reform the management of MSDs to stop the worrying variations in services, the waste of NHS money and, most importantly, poor patient outcomes.
MSDs affect more than eight million people in England, including 10,000 children – which is more than 15% of the entire population. MSDs encompass around 200 different problems affecting the muscles, joints and skeleton.
- MSDs account for almost one third (30%) of GP visits
- people with rheumatoid arthritis are seen by their GP an average of four times before they are referred to a specialist for diagnosis
- arthritis is the biggest cause of physical disability in the UK
- almost 70% of people with arthritis live with pain constantly
Neil Betteridge said: ‘A national strategy for MSDs would set out the framework for how musculoskeletal services could be liberated to focus on improving outcomes and controlling costs to ensure that patients receive the services and support they most need. All that is required is the political will to give people with MSDs similar priority as those with cancer or mental health issues.’
