Government "action, not words" needed to push back limits of arthritis

A Health Minister has told a parliamentary debate that arthritis is a "priority" for the Government.Speaking at thefirst parliamentary debate on arthritis in over five years, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health David Mowat MP said that it was now "about action, not words" to push back the limits of arthritis for the 10 million people living with the condition in the UK today.The parliamentary debate, led by the Strangford MP Jim Shannon, highlighted Arthritis Research UK’sShare Your Everyday campaign, and the pain, isolation and fatigue that millions of people with arthritis live with every day."Completely and utterly drained"During the debate in Parliament on 20th October 2016, MPs from all major parties spoke about the need to ensure more focus on the prevention of arthritis, supporting exceptional science in the UK that’s working towards more effective treatment, diagnosis and a cure for arthritis, and the transformation of services and support for people living in pain today.The most poignant moments of the debate came when MPs shared their own experiences of arthritis and its impact on their lives.Revealing her experience of inflammatory arthritis, West Ham MP Lyn Brown was one of several MPs to speak powerfully about its impact on her life and work as an MP.During her speech the MP said: "In March (2015), I finally hit a brick wall. I felt completely and utterly drained of energy and could barely walk more than a few steps. I had to drag my...

Source: Arthritis Research UK - October 23, 2016 Category: Rheumatology Source Type: news