Childhood arthritis: new website launched for children and families

A website for parents and families of children and young people with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) has been launched today, in reaction to a call for more support.
Detailed information about JIA is included along with getting to a diagnosis and understanding how to negotiate the NHS in order to get the right care for children/young people.
The National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS), the body behind the website, expects it to be a useful resource for healthcare professionals involved in the care of young people with JIA too.
“Our aim is to provide parents, families, young people and health professionals with the best and most up to date resource in the UK on all aspects of JIA from a family/patient perspective,” explains Ailsa Bosworth, CEO of NRAS. “Getting to a diagnosis is often a difficult and sometimes traumatic process for parents and we hope that this website will help parents who are concerned about their child, to get the right help more rapidly.”
The website is in large part a response to requests for such a resource from parents, families, young people, healthcare professionals and NHS Managers who were interviewed for the A Focus on JIA Report that was published by NRAS at the end of 2013.
Dr Clarissa Pilkington, president of the British Society for Paediatric and Adolescent Rheumatology comments:
“This new service is very much wanted and needed by families and health professionals alike. The reputation of NRAS is well established in the adult rheumatoid arthritis community and is synonymous with empowering, educating and improving peoples’ lives as well as campaigning on behalf of those affected by rheumatoid arthritis. We believe they have the knowledge and expertise to successfully support families, children and young people affected by JIA and look forward to working with them on the service”

For more information visit www.jia.org.uk.

Image credit: Jeff Rozema