Publications
The Economic Burden of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Please click here to view the report
RA and Work, Employment & Rheumatoid Arthritis in Scotland. A National Picture.
80% OF RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS PATIENTS IN SCOTLAND SAY FATIGUE IS BIGGEST BARRIER TO EMPLOYMENT: NRAS SURVEY REVEALS
The largest ever survey of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients of working age in Scotland has revealed that the severe fatigue caused by the disease is the largest barrier to people staying in employment, with over 80% citing it as a factor.
The findings are the result of several years work by the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS) to establish the extent that RA prevents people with RA from staying in work. Following the findings of the 2007 UK-wide survey, NRAS decided to run the survey again in Scotland to identify the specific barriers that are preventing RA patients there staying in work.
57% of those not employed said that their RA forced them to give up work prematurely. Of those, 56% reported that they stopped working within one year of diagnosis and 80% stopped working within 6 years of diagnosis. This is considerably higher than the 59% figure revealed by the 2007 UK Survey. A comparison of the two studies reveals that significantly more people with RA in Scotland lose their jobs at an early stage in their disease.
In contrast to the 2007 survey that went to NRAS members, the 2010 questionnaire was distributed through outpatient clinics by health professionals.
Speaking about the findings, NRAS Chief Executive and RA sufferer, Ailsa Bosworth said:
“This survey reveals the severe impact of fatigue suffered by people with RA in Scotland and the detrimental effect it has on their working lives. Misunderstandings about the disease by employers is damaging to the career progression of RA sufferers. Over 30% of patients in Scotland said that their employers had limited or no understanding of RA which makes coping with flare ups, hospital visits and the pain and fatigue of living with the disease so much harder and this impacts deeply on patients’ families. The cost of people with RA being out of work is much greater than that of treating them, as demonstrated by our recent study, ‘The Economic Burden of RA’.”
The findings have been published in the ‘RA and Work’ report that was launched ahead of the British Society for Rheumatology Conference (21st- 23rd April 2010). The Report also makes recommendations for how RA patients can be better supported to stay in work.
NRAS would like to see a more integrated and proactive government approach towards helping people with RA remain in work. 62% of respondents in employment and over 50% not in employment said it would be useful to receive more information about the support available to them. Health professionals should sign post people to organizations like NRAS who can help at an early stage. Pre-existing schemes also need to be better advertised, as it is clear there is a real need for practical support. Access to rapid access clinics to help manage flares and ultimately reduce time off was cited as the most valuable support mechanism to RA sufferers.
Other Key Findings:
• 32.8% of respondents believed that RA had been detrimental to their career progression, with nearly one fifth saying they had to abandon their current career for another.
• Over 50% stating that the problems they experienced at work had a major impact on their personal financial situation.
• 80% of respondents said that the problems experienced at work had a major impact on their social lives, over 50% on their relationships.
• Over half of those unemployed stated they would like to return to work if they found a suitable job that accommodated their RA.
• 30% of patients stated that their employers had limited or no understanding of RA at all.
• Of those patients no longer in work, only 4 stated that their former employer had offered support to help them make changes to working conditions to make their work easier.
Please click here to download a copy of the publication 'RA and Work'
ARMA Musculoskeletal Map of England
NRAS is an active member of ARMA (the Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance which is an umbrella organisation) and supports the actions ARMA is calling for. The purpose of these maps is to demonstrate the local variations in quality of NHS musculoskeletal services which exist in England. The raw data underpinning these maps is appended to the document.
In highlighting these local variations, ARMA is aiming to highlight the need for clear, national action to improve NHS musculoskeletal services – and ensure that all people living with a musculoskeletal disorder receive the same, high-quality, standard of care wherever they live in the country.
In order to achieve the national action required, ARMA is calling for:
- The appointment of a National Clinical Director for musculoskeletal services to provide strategic guidance and to lead and develop new priorities and incentives for musculoskeletal services in the UK
- A revised musculoskeletal services strategy, ensuring that there is a clear line of accountability and responsibility within the Department of Health for delivering effective strategies so that patients are provided with the quality of service originally envisaged by the Department of Health in its MSF
Click here to view the Musculoskeletal Map of England
The Inflammatory Arthritis (IA) Pathway
Hospitals provide RA services, but many hospitals do not have adequate services for people with RA.
The Department of Health (DoH) have produced a ‘pathway of care’ that shows the patient journey from appointment with your GP to referral to your consultant and your continuing ongoing care.
NRAS is working with local strategic health authorities to try to ensure that this pathway is followed so that equitable quality services are in place across the country.
Please
click here to
view the 18 week Commissioning Pathway for Inflammatory Arthritis (IA).
Please
click here if you would like to
download the IA Pathway -
please be aware that the file is quite large and may take some time to download