Arthritis In Northern Ireland

EDM number 1282 in 2003-04, proposed by Iris Robinson on 26/05/2004.

That this House notes that arthritis and related conditions cause long-term health difficulties and impaired quality of life for at least 15 per cent. of the Northern Ireland population, account for one quarter of general practice consultations and represent the largest physical cause of disability and absence from work in the Province; recognises that Northern Ireland has the poorest provision of rheumatologists of any part of the United Kingdom, falling far short of the recommendations of the British Society of Rheumatologists and the Royal College of Physicians; further notes that powerful new anti-TNF drugs capable of revolutionising the treatment of people with severe rheumatoid arthritis are not available to patients in Northern Ireland on the same basis as in the rest of the United Kingdom; regrets that co-ordination between primary and secondary health care, and between health care and social services can sometimes prove inadequate with slow and unsatisfactory procedures for obtaining benefits such as disability living allowance, having home adaptations carried out and acquiring transport especially in rural areas; and recommends the introduction of Northern Ireland-wide standards for care and access to arthritis treatments, improved multidisciplinary rheumatology services, increased user-led self-management programmes, early access to effective new treatments for those for whom they are deemed medically appropriate and co-ordinated primary and community care services to support those with arthritis in retaining their independence and quality of life within the community.

This motion has been signed by a total of 50 MPs.