UK local authorities missing the health needs of people with arthritis and back pain
Many communities are being failed by local authorities in England, says a report from Arthritis Research UK, which highlights that 26% of local authorities did not mention arthritis in their Joint Strategic Needs Assessments. And 62% of local authorities missed back pain in their assessment of the health needs of the communities that they serve.
The scale of the problem
Musculoskeletal conditions, such as osteoarthritis and back pain, affect over 7 million people in England. A third of people aged over 45 years have knee osteoarthritis. In fact, knee osteoarthritis affects 15%–21% of people in local authorities in England. And back pain affects 80% of us at some point in our lives.
Musculoskeletal conditions account for £5 billion of NHS spend a year, are the leading cause of working days lost and cost the UK economy over £20 billion annually.
And the problem looks set to get worse due to an ageing and increasingly overweight population. By ignoring musculoskeletal conditions in their assessments, local authorities are storing up huge problems for local health and social care services in the future.
“A number of local authorities in England are failing in their duty to assess the needs of people with arthritis and back pain, and we’re concerned they may not be providing appropriate services which meet their needs,” explains Arthritis Research UK executive officer, Dr Liam O’Toole. “For too long, musculoskeletal conditions, such as osteoarthritis and back pain, have been placed in the ‘too difficult’ box.”
So Arthritis Research UK is calling on local authorities to recognise the needs of people with arthritis, and to identify why they have not already done so.
Interventions are available to alleviate the symptoms osteoarthritis and back pain, such as drugs, other medical treatments and physical activity programmes. But local authorities are responsible for delivering the public health approach, such as co-ordinating efforts to reduce rates of obesity and providing better access to physical activity sessions such as swimming and access to sporting facilities, which can help to reduce pain and strengthen joints.
“As a number of people living with these conditions continues to increase, there is an urgent need for local authorities to properly assess the impact on the communities which they serve,” says Dr O’Toole.
Musculoskeletal calculator
Policy makers can now access a Musculoskeletal Calculator, a record of the number of people living with hip and knee osteoarthritis in specific local areas.
“We now have the data to show the huge burden that these conditions place on the individual and society” says Dr O’Toole. “We want to ensure that every person living with arthritis is recognised and they receive the services that will make a tangible improvement to their quality of life.”
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Image credit: Neal Fowler
