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Musculoskeletal Conditions

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his intervention. I actually said that there was a simple test to determine whether an inflammatory process was going on, not whether someone had rheumatoid arthritis. Obviously there are tests for rheumatoid arthritis, as the Minister knows, but the crucial thing is the simple test for inflammation. I hate to put it like this, but ankylosing spondylitis is one of the most interesting of the inflammatory arthritises for the doctor treating it, because it affects so many bits, although I will not describe all those that it could affect for fear of upsetting the hon. Member for St. Ives (Andrew George). However, it is vital that an early diagnosis is made, and anti-TNF drugs are useful in treating this condition, too. I now turn briefly to the management of conditions. Obviously, everything depends on the diagnosis. Although I want to concentrate mainly on the inflammatory arthritises, it is now recognised that the medical profession treats backache badly, and some osteopaths and alternative practitioners are probably just as good, if not better. On the inflammatory arthritises, however, it is crucial that sufferers are treated by a multidisciplinary team. Gone are the days when someone saw a consultant rheumatologist and that was that. People must have specialist nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, podiatrists and ready access to psychologists and orthopaedic surgeons. There are huge worries about such provision, however, given that financial resources will inevitably be reduced over the next few years. The attack will come on specialist nurses and physios—