Rheumatology workforce shortages

That this House acknowledges the findings from the British Society for Rheumatology’s latest report stating that the NHS rheumatology workforce is understaffed and in some areas up to a third of consultant posts are vacant; recognises that workforce shortages and vacancies lead to unacceptable caseloads, long waiting times and delays in care for the millions of people with conditions like arthritis; notes that rheumatology career pathways must address current shortages; further notes that enhancing and upskilling the current multi-disciplinary teams role in rheumatology would allow staff to extend their scope of practice within departments and meet increasing service demands; commends the contribution of rheumatology departments who are working hard to bring down diagnostic backlogs; and calls on the Government to invest in the current rheumatology workforce numbers and boost training places to meet forecast demand.