Media Centre

NRAS supports anti ‘Bedroom Tax’ amendment in the Welfare Reform Bill

Maidenhead, UK, 1st February, 2012 – The National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS) is one of over 76 organisations to sign a joint letter in The Guardian asking the Government to support a cross-party amendment in the Welfare Reform Bill to exempt families with one additional unoccupied bedroom from having their Housing Benefit cut.

Click here to read more.


NRAS urges Government to reform the social care system

Maidenhead, UK, 23rd January 2012 - NRAS is one of nearly 30 organisations to sign an open letter in The Guardian urging the Government to reform the social care system.

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NRAS sign open letter calling for Government to clarify social care bill wording


Maidenhead, UK, 9th January 2012 - NRAS is one of over 40 organisations to sign an open letter in The Times urging the Government to strengthen the Health and Social Care Bill’s wording around service user involvement

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NRAS join call for urgent health reforms in open letter to Prime Minister

Maidenhead, UK – 3rd January 2012- In an open letter published in The Telegraph today NRAS have joined with over 60 other signatories in urging the Prime Minister to work with other party leaders to take urgent action to reform social care for disabled and older people.

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NRAS welcomes final NICE guidance on RoActemra® (Tocilizumab) for systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA)

Maidenhead, UK – 14 December 2011 -The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has today issued final guidance for RoActemra® (Tocilizumab) for treating systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA) in children and young people aged 2 years and older, whose disease has responded inadequately to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), systemic corticosteroids and methotrexate.

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NRAS welcomes the publication of Professor Harrington’s second independent review on the Work Capability Assessment in 2011

Maidenhead, UK – 24 November 2011 - NRAS today welcomes the publication of Professor Harrington’s second independent review on the Work Capability Assessment in 2011, which focuses on issues including:
•    Introducing checks on benefit decisions to ensure fairness and consistency.
•    Working with disability groups to help develop guidance for Atos healthcare professionals and decision makers.
•    Improved support and communications for people who move onto Jobseeker’s Allowance to make sure they get the help they need.
•    Regularly publishing data on performance and quality to improve the transparency of the face-to face assessment.

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NRAS Mark Third Healthcare Champions Award Success

Maidenhead, UK, 01 November, 2011 - The National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS) is delighted to announce the 10 winners of their third Healthcare Champions Award in a year of celebrating their 10th Anniversary. The winners, from around the UK, will be honoured at a special reception to be held tonight at the State Rooms, Speaker’s House, House of Commons, where the awards will be presented by The Home Secretary and NRAS patron, The Rt Hon Theresa May MP. Click here to read more.


World Arthritis Day Webchat 12th October 2011 - Questions and Answers

To mark World Arthritis Day, NRAS published new research on access to RA-related physiotherapy and held a live ministerial webchat with Paul Burstow MP. Please find the full webchat here.

New RA and Physiotherapy report published by NRAS and CSP

The National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS) and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) today (12 October) publish a new UK-wide report highlighting the medical evidence around the benefits of physiotherapy in the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), but also uncovering serious problems in the way physiotherapy services are being organised and accessed throughout the UK.
Click here to read more on this report.


PAUL BURSTOW MP - WORLD ARTHRITIS DAY: WEBCHAT WITH NRAS AND CSP

NRAS and the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) are delighted to announce that Health Minister, Paul Burstow MP, has agreed to take part in a live webchat to mark this year’s World Arthritis Day on 12 October.
Click here to read the Health Minister's statement about the forthcoming webchat.


NRAS response to Professor Harrington’s Year 2 Review on the Work Capability Assessment

NRAS recently made a submission to Professor Harrington as part of his second review into the operation of the Work Capability Assessment. The submission focused on the issue of the quality of the Evidence Based Protocol on Rheumatoid Arthritis that is used by Atos Assessors to carry out medical assessments. We raised serious concerns about errors and omissions contained in the latest protocol relating to the characteristics, signs and symptoms of RA, and the treatment and prognosis for the disease.
For more information, please click here.


UK cities set for disabled people's protest – HARDEST HIT Day of Action

WHAT: Disabled people, their families and friends taking to the streets in cities across the UK protesting against Government cuts to disability benefits and services. This takes place one year on from the Comprehensive Spending Review that revealed the Government’s intention to slash public spending.
WHEN: 22 October 2011
WHERE: Protests are planned across the UK, including Edinburgh, Cardiff, Leeds, Nottingham, Brighton, Manchester, Newcastle and Bristol (more locations to follow).

For more information, please click here.

NRAS joint response to Work and Pensions Committee inquiry on the Disability Living Allowance

Maidenhead, UK, 07 September 2011 - NRAS is part of the Disability Benefits Consortium (DBC) of over fifty charities and other organisations committed to working towards a fair benefits system. The group has made a new joint submission to the Work and Pensions Select Committee as part of its inquiry into the future of the Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and the Personal Independence Payment (PIP). PIP is a new benefit for disabled people intended to replace DLA, which was announced in the consultation paper on Disability Living Allowance Reform in December 2010 and the Welfare Reform Bill, introduced in February 2011.

For more information, please click here.

New Arthritis Research UK questionnaire on Personal Health Budgets

15th August 2011

The National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society is working in partnership with Arthritis Research UK (AR UK) to ensure the views of people with Rheumatoid Arthritis are represented within the Government’ new Personal Health Budgets initiative, which is currently being piloted in some parts of England. More...

NRAS response to Work and Pensions Select Committee report on reassessment of incapacity benefit

26th July 2011
  
The Work and Pensions Select Committee has today published its report on The role of incapacity benefit reassessment in helping claimants into employment. Reacting to the publication of the report, Ailsa Bosworth, Chief Executive of the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society, said...


NRAS very disappointed with negative NICE announcement for abatacept

23rd June 2011

NICE rejects use of abatacept following treatment failure with DMARDS, shutting the door for some patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) who are unable to take anti-TNF therapy, an alternative clinically effective treatment option. More...

NRAS welcomes NICE guidance on Golimumab (Simponi)

22nd June 2011
In final guidance, published today (22 June), the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommends golimumab (Simponi) as an option for treating rheumatoid arthritis in specific circumstances where previous treatments haven't worked. More...


DBC responds to the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Consultation

7th June 2011
NRAS is part of the Disability Benefits Consortium (DBC) of over fifty charities and other organisations committed to working towards a fair benefits system. Yesterday the group made a joint submission to the Department for Work and Pensions as its consultation on the initial draft criteria for the Personal Independence Payment assessment (PIP) came to a close. More...


Listen Up - Health & Social Care Bill

27th May 2011
NRAS is one of forty charities and coalitions to have come together today to release the 'Listen Up' statement, calling for changes to the Health and Social Care Bill. More...


NICE Recommends Simponi (golimumab) for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)

13th May 2011
Recommendation of the First Monthly Subcutaneous Injection for use after Treatment Failure with DMARDs Provides More Options for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Patients. More...


Commissioning for Quality in rheumatoid arthritis (CQRA)

The current NICE clinical guidelines offer best practice advice on the care of adults with RA based on the best available evidence. The recent National Audit Office Report highlights that there is a variation in the implementation of NICE guidelines in the NHS. More...


The Budget

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, yesterday delivered his second Budget, which set out further measures intended to tackle deficit reduction and promote growth in the UK economy. More...


NRAS welcomes final NICE guidance on RoActemra - widening access to Biologic Therapies in Rheumatoid Arthritis

On Wednesday 25th August, NICE issued final guidance on Tocilizumab.  The Guidance states that Tocilizumab, (RoActemra) in combination with methotrexate, is recommended for the treatment of moderate to severe active rheumatoid arthritis More...


NICE issues Final Guidance on biologic therapy options post TNF failure

Adalimumab, etanercept, infliximab, rituximab and abatacept for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis after the failure of a TNF inhibitor. More...


New data reveal first predictive biomarkers to tailor rheumatoid arthritis therapy

New research presented at the British Society of Rheumatology (BSR) annual conference in Birmingham during April 2010 has confirmed what has been known anecdotally through clinical experience. More...


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. More...


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