NATIONAL ARTHRITIS WEEK

That this House welcomes Arthritis Research UK's National Arthritis Week from 7 to 13 October 2013; recognises the substantial impact that arthritis and musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions, including back pain and osteoporosis, have on people's daily lives; acknowledges that MSK conditions affect over 10 million people and account for the largest proportion of years lived with disability in the UK; further welcomes Arthritis Research UK's Understanding Arthritis report with its five recommendations to improve the health and wellbeing of people with these conditions, namely ensuring NHS England fulfils its NHS Mandate objective to offer everyone with a long term condition a care plan; calls for MSK conditions to be included within Public Health England's three year set of priorities; requests that there is a fracture liaison service linked to every hospital involved in the care of people with fragility fractures; further calls on NHS England to prioritise data collection of patients' conditions and treatments in data poor areas such as rheumatology and orthopaedic outpatient appointments; and further requests that NHS England encourages GPs to routinely ask people with MSK conditions if they experience depression and anxiety.