Alison Seabeck MP

Member of Parliament for Plymouth Moor View

 

Alison counts the cost of rheumatoid arthritis

Alison Seabeck MP has met members from the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society to highlight how rheumatoid arthritis affects not just the health of her constituents but the health of the economy.

A recent report from the charity found that the costs to the UK economy of the condition amount to almost £8 billion, whilst NHS spending on the disease in Plymouth is just £15.18 per head of population.

Alison said "Recent reports highlight that earlier diagnosis and treatment could not only limit the progression of the disease but also deliver significant savings for the NHS and wider economy.  People with rheumatoid arthritis deserve to receive care and treatment on the NHS and I commend the work of the NRAS in highlighting the variations in spend and quality of service across the country.  I will be speaking with Plymouth Primary Care Trust to find out what they are doing locally to tackle both the health and economic burden of rheumatoid arthritis".

RA is a chronic and disabling autoimmune disease, affecting about 690,000 people in the UK .  It has no known cause or cure . It remains a major cause of worklessness – almost 30% of people with RA surveyed by NRAS in 2007 gave up work within a year of being diagnosed with the condition . The Public Accounts Committee report on services for people with rheumatoid arthritis highlighted significant variations in the spending on and quality of services for people with RA and other musculoskeletal conditions across the country.

Ailsa Bosworth, Chief Executive of NRAS said: ‘It is crucial that rheumatoid arthritis patients are diagnosed and treated early. This will not only ensure that patients receive best prognosis and are able to remain active and in work but will also help the NHS realise the savings it needs to make over the next few years by reducing the need for costly interventions and inpatient stays.  We urge the Government to address the recommendations from the Public Accounts Committee as a priority.’

Photo of George Stavrinidis, NRAS member and Alison Seabeck MP.

Information on the work of NRAS is available on www.nras.org.uk or you can contact Jenny Snell on jenny@nras.org.uk or 01628 823524.