Political parties must make arthritis a health priority

Arthritis Care welcomed the announcement by the Secretary of State for Health that he recognises the importance of appointing a National Clinical Director (NCD), or ’Tsar’, for musculoskeletal conditions in England.

However, the charity calls on all political parties to ensure that this announcement is followed up by strong political leadership after the election and the immediate appointment of a Tsar, whichever party wins.

Chief Executive of Arthritis Care Neil Betteridge said, ‘While this is a good day for people with arthritis, there is a real danger that the decision by the Health Secretary to delay appointing a Tsar for now will lead to political parties sweeping the issue under the carpet come the official start of election campaign this week.’

‘All political parties should make it a priority to end the system-wide failures affecting arthritis services whoever wins the election. There will be no excuse for delay. The condition has already been a silent epidemic for decades and despite it being the biggest cause of physical disability, accounting for almost a quarter of the disability benefits bill, it still takes four visits to the GP before a referral to a specialist for the severest forms of the condition, which can lead to serious loss of life expectancy.

‘The situation has been crying out for strong political action for years, which is why Arthritis Care has been campaigning for the appointment of a Tsar,’ said Neil Betteridge, who has arthritis himself.

‘There is a pressing need for better integrated and co-ordinated services that deliver the NHS value for money for drug treatments and self-management interventions. The NHS spends £4.1 million on treating musculoskeletal conditions per year. More than £560 million is spent on rheumatoid arthritis alone, costing the wider economy at least £1.8 billion.

‘With an ageing population and changing lifestyles, this figure is only likely to increase, so it is crucial that there is a clear lead person with overall responsibility for this area in the Department of Health. We look forward to working closely with whoever is appointed to this important position to ensure that people with arthritis are fully involved in decisions affecting their health, and that health services genuinely meet their needs.’