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Arthritis patients must not be forgotten in NHS recovery plan, charity warns

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A charity is urging the Scottish Government to ensure arthritis patients are not forgotten as it emerged almost half have had appointments cancelled during the coronavirus crisis.

A survey by Versus Arthritis found the pandemic has had “devastating” consequences for many patients managing arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions.

It found 43% of those questioned have had appointments cancelled, while one in three (37%) said they have not had access to the care and treatment they need to manage their pain.

The charity is now warning ministers that if people continue to be unable to access appropriate care, hundreds of thousands of patients across the country are at risk of significant health deterioration – and it said the NHS will pay a higher price in the long-term as a result.

Versus Arthritis Scotland director Angela Donaldson-Bruce said: “The NHS has just about survived Covid-19 so far, but at the expense of services that many relied upon to sustain their quality of life.

“The Scottish Government must take urgent steps to ensure people with arthritis are not forgotten or ignored. We can’t go back to ‘normal’ – we must demand better.

“It’s imperative that recovery plans include arthritis treatments, including joint replacement surgery, so this crisis does not accelerate further.”

The charity surveyed more than 6,000 people with arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions across the UK, including 600 people in Scotland.

It found more than half (51%) of those north of the border reported being unable to manage their pain to undertake basic tasks, and the same proportion said they are not able to be physically active.

Four in 10 (40%) reported feeling more lonely or isolated, rising to 46% amongst those who have been self-isolating.

The charity said almost one-third of the Scottish population live with a musculoskeletal condition such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and back pain.

It said that even before Covid-19, many faced long waits to access health services including physiotherapy, rheumatology and crucial joint replacement surgery.

Orthopaedic surgeon Professor Colin Howie, an expert at Edinburgh University, warned there will be widespread cancellations again this winter due either to Covid or the “winter bed crisis”.

He warned: “When the person eventually comes to surgery the results are not as good as they would have been had it been carried out earlier.”

Eileen Wathew, from Prestwick in South Ayrshire, suffers from osteoarthritis and has been on the waiting list for a knee replacement since November 2019.

She was meant to be operated on in May, but her surgery was cancelled due to the pandemic.

The 54-year-old said: “The pain is getting worse and worse, and I can’t stand for longer than 10 minutes without it becoming too much.

“Living in pain every day has drastically affected my life. I gave up my 30-year career as a nurse, I’ve lost my independence, and I’ve become more and more isolated, even before the pandemic.”