I have had a number of constituents contacting me about arthritis.
I fully appreciate and support the need to improve early diagnosis of people with arthritis, as well as treatment and care in England. Too often people are losing quality of life at an early age, and living in pain due to this condition.
The Getting it Right First Time rheumatology programme published a national report on rheumatology in 2021, which makes a series of recommendations to support equitable and consistent access to diagnostic tests. Additionally, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has produced a range of guidance to support early diagnosis of conditions including rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. NICE’s quality standard on rheumatoid arthritis in people aged 16 years old or over states that adults with suspected persistent joint inflammation, known as synovitis, in more than one joint, or the small joints of the hands and feet, should be referred to rheumatology services within three working days of presenting in primary care.
Quality standards are important in setting out to patients, the public, commissioners, and providers what a high-quality service should look like in a particular area of care. Whilst providers and commissioners must have regard to NICE quality standards in planning and delivering services, they do not provide a comprehensive service specification and are not mandatory. To support the health of people with arthritis while they are waiting for elective treatment, NHS England has worked with Versus Arthritis on their Joint Replacement Support Package, which makes the case for local health systems, working with local communities and the voluntary sector, to deliver a support package to help to meet the needs of people with arthritis who are on surgery waiting lists. This includes mental health support to help people to manage their pain and any associated depression and anxiety.
More generally, we have made it clear to local commissioners that we expect NHS talking therapies to be integrated into physical healthcare pathways. Our NHS Long Term Plan commits to an additional £2.3 billion a year for the expansion of mental health services by 2024, so that an additional two million people can access National Health Service-funded mental health support.
