The National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS) has today called for a national campaign to improve awareness about rheumatoid arthritis (RA) so people can seek swift treatment and prevent long-term joint damage and disability.
This follows the publication of research by the National Audit Office (NAO) that has revealed a lack of awareness about RA among the public, health professionals and commissioners. The report found that 20% of people with RA delayed seeking treatment for more than a year after experiencing the on-set of symptoms. These findings support research by NRAS that found that 62% of the population are not aware of the actual causes of RA. NRAS points out that RA costs the NHS around £560 million a year with an extra £1.8 billion a year through sick leave and work-related disability. RA is a chronic, progressive, disabling condition affecting more than half a million people in England with around 26,000 new cases each year. The disease can progress rapidly, causing swelling and damage to cartilage and bone around joints and it can affect other organs of the body, e.g. the heart, the lungs and eyes. Crucial to the effective control of the condition is its early recognition and treatment, with 12 weeks being the recommended time between the onset of symptoms and the start of specialist treatment. Eighteen per cent of patients visit their GP more than eight times before they are diagnosed with RA. Most shockingly, 60% of GPs are not using specific guidance or criteria to help them identify the disease and refer patents for specialist treatment and less than half of people were referred to a specialist within the 12-week period. NRAS hope that this situation will change markedly with the implementation of the new NICE guidelines on RA.
