Arthritis Care calls new report on services for people with rheumatoid arthritis ‘a powerful wake up call’

The Public Accounts Committee published a report which, on the basis of evidence from the Department of Health, examined the health services for people with rheumatoid arthritis.

The Public Accounts Committe (PAC) report makes it clear that too many people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are not diagnosed early enough and, once diagnosed, they do not always get the services they need to manage their condition. Starting treatment within three months can stop the disease getting worse, and yet the time between experiencing symptoms and receiving treatment is typically nine months, unchanged since 2003.

Lack of awareness and insufficient GP training are key obstacles in people with RA presenting themselves to doctors early enough and being promptly referred for diagnosis by a specialist.

The report calls on the Department of Health, among other things, to launch an awareness campaign around RA; to produce an action plan for better access to flare-up and pain management services by March 2010; and to publish clear standards to support people with RA to remain in or return to work.

Neil Betteridge, chief executive of Arthritis Care, said: ‘The Public Accounts Committee report is a powerful wake-up call for the Department of Health. It reinforces what people with RA have been saying – and what Arthritis Care has been calling for – for years. The report places a clear responsibility on the Department to take decisive action to put services for people with RA right, and we strongly support its recommendations.  

‘In addition to the PAC’s recommendations, Arthritis Care also urges the Department of Health to appoint a musculoskeletal services tsar, to drive forward these much needed improvements and ensure that everyone with arthritis receives prompt diagnosis and full support to live and work, wherever they are in the country.

'Lack of public awareness, insufficient GP training and a postcode lottery of support services don’t just affect people with RA, they also affect the millions of people with other musculoskeletal conditions. Tsars already exist in areas such as mental health, diabetes and liver disease – people with arthritis deserve nothing less.’  

For more information

• read the full PAC Services for people with rheaumatoid arthritis report
• find out more about rheumatoid arthritis