07 October 2026
This World Arthritis Day, we’re looking back at how arthritis care has changed, and the people, research and collaboration that have helped shape care today. For BSR, that history stretches back 90 years.
The Heberden Society was established in 1936, bringing together clinicians with a shared interest in understanding and treating rheumatic disease. That same period saw growing recognition that people living with arthritis needed greater scientific understanding, better treatment and stronger support.
Changing the story for children with arthritis
Dr Barbara Ansell was a pioneer in the treatment of children with chronic arthritis at a time when paediatric rheumatology barely existed as a recognised specialty. Working with Dr Eric Bywaters, she helped establish clearer ways of understanding childhood arthritis and transformed approaches to its treatment.
Her work put children and their families at the centre of care, recognising the importance of mobility, multidisciplinary support and enabling children with arthritis to continue experiencing childhood. She also trained clinicians who went on to develop specialist paediatric rheumatology services across the UK and internationally.
Her legacy remains part of BSR today, including through the Barbara Ansell Address at our Annual Conference.
From pioneering individuals to a community of care
BSR was formed in 1983 when the Heberden Society and British Association for Rheumatology and Rehabilitation came together. Today, our community spans adult, paediatric and adolescent rheumatology and the wider multidisciplinary team.
Our registers have now generated more than 25 years of real-world evidence, helping improve understanding of treatment effectiveness and long-term outcomes. In paediatric rheumatology, initiatives including the Paediatric and Adolescent Quality Improvement Network continue to bring teams together to improve care for children and young people.
Continuing the story
World Arthritis Day is an opportunity to recognise how far arthritis care has come, while remembering that progress has always depended on collaboration. That same spirit sits at the heart of BSR Annual Conference.
For organisations looking to support the rheumatology community, our branding and partnership opportunities offer the chance to align with a Society with a 90-year heritage and connect with the people shaping the future of arthritis care.
90 years of progress and a future of arthritis care still to shape.