BSR statement on NAO report: Services for People with Rheumatoid Arthritis
15 July 2009
BSR President, Dr Deborah Bax said:
“We welcome this report. It demonstrates the gap between the recommendations in the NICE Rheumatoid Arthritis Management Guidelines, and what is actually delivered in the NHS. Consequently, it sets a challenge to both Government and clinicians alike. For Government the message is that patients are missing out on vital treatments & services, and it is time to invest in inflammatory arthritis services. It demonstrates that if rheumatoid arthritis is not seen by specialists promptly and treated intensively, it will end up costing both individual patients and the country much more in the long run. Therefore, rheumatoid arthritis services must now have the highest priority. For clinicians the message is that we must ensure that we are providing the best quality care for our rheumatoid arthritis patients.
This is a great opportunity for the Government and the musculoskeletal community to work together for the benefit of rheumatoid arthritis patients.”
View the National Audit Office Report - Services for People with Rheumatoid Arthritis