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Access to new treatments
Access to the powerful new anti-TNF drug treatments has improved. The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety now accepts the value of these drugs as effective treatments.
Waiting times for new drugs
These drugs are still more difficult to obtain in Northern Ireland than in most other parts of the UK and people still have to wait for long periods to obtain these potentially life transforming treatments.
Recognition for arthritis and long-term conditions in general
The Department of Health Strategy document, Healthier Futures, has:
- acknowledged the impact of long-term conditions, including arthritis
- acknowledged the value of self-management training and singled out Arthritis Care’s Challenging Arthritis programmes as an example of good practice
We are now pressing for a Service Framework for Arthritis and Muscloskeletal conditions, setting down in clear language what people with arthritis can expect from their health services, and for a strategy document on long term conditions which would amongst other things recognise the importance of providing people with adequte information on their conditins and with access to user led self management training.
