Arthritis Awareness Month 2026

That this House celebrates May as Arthritis Awareness Month; acknowledges the significant impact that arthritis has on over 10 million people across the UK, including more than 10,000 children and young people; recognises that arthritis causes pain, fatigue, disability, mental and financial strain and can affect people of any age, impacting their ability to work, care for family, and live independently; notes the pressure created by long waiting times for diagnosis, treatment, surgery and access to rheumatology, physiotherapy and pain management; appreciates the importance of early, accurate and personalised diagnosis, which can reduce the long-term impact of arthritis and avoid unnecessary costs to the NHS and the wider economy; welcomes the important work of Arthritis UK, in research, support and campaigning that helps ensure that everyone with arthritis has access to the treatments and support they need to live the life they choose, with real hope of a cure in the future; calls for action to improve services for people with arthritis, reducing unwarranted variation in care, and to ensure NICE and Government guidance is adhered to and consistently implemented; and further calls for action to reduce waiting times for those on trauma and orthopaedic waiting lists for joint replacement surgery, in line with wider elective reform plans, so that people living with arthritis in Newcastle-under-Lyme and across the UK can access the timely care they need and deserve.