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Written question asked by Adam Jogee (Labour) on Wednesday, 8 July 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 13 July 2026. It was answered by Sharon Hodgson (Labour) on Friday, 17 July 2026 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Disorders: Staffordshire

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure people are able to access a timely diagnosis for arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire.

Answer

To support healthcare professionals in the early diagnosis and management of arthritis, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published expert guidance for both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, which are available at the following links:

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng100

https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng226

The Royal College of General Practitioners also has a range of e-learning materials to support general practitioners (GPs) and other primary care professionals in the diagnosis and management of arthritis, including a rheumatoid arthritis hub and an osteoarthritis hub.

We are supporting better care for patients with arthritis through the Getting It Right First Time Programme (GIRFT) for Rheumatology. The GIRFT rheumatology programme is supporting the National Health Service to deliver care more equitably across England and closer to patients’ homes, and improve services nationally.

To support people with musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions, we are working to deliver the GIRFT MSK Community Delivery Programme. GIRFT teams are working directly with health system leaders to reduce MSK community waiting lists, including for people with arthritis, and support the recovery, long-term transformation and ongoing delivery of high-quality accessible community MSK services.

As part of a major transformation of the NHS under the 10-Year Health Plan, patients with MSK conditions will also soon be able to directly access community services, including physiotherapy, pain management and orthopaedics, in the NHS App. The landmark change will deliver faster treatment for the flare up of existing conditions including arthritis, backpain and joint pain, while enabling GPs to focus on more complex cases, reducing pressure on hospitals and freeing up GP practices.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
17152
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Diagnosis Arthritis Staffordshire Musculoskeletal disorders
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk