Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that good practice guidelines produced by NICE on the diagnosis and care of osteoarthritis are implemented.

We are supporting better care for patients with arthritis through the Getting It Right First Time Programme (GIRFT) for Rheumatology. The GIRFT rheumatology programme is supporting the National Health Service to deliver care more equitably across England and closer to patients’ homes and improve services nationally.

As part of the GIRFT Musculoskeletal (MSK) Delivery Programme, GIRFT teams are working with health system leaders to reduce MSK community waiting times, including for patients with arthritis, and improve referral pathways to wider support services.

As part of a major transformation of the NHS under the 10-Year Health Plan, patients with MSK conditions, such as arthritis, will also soon be able to directly access community services, including physiotherapy, pain management, and orthopaedics, in the NHS App. The landmark change will deliver faster treatment for the flare up of existing conditions, including arthritis, back pain, and joint pain, while enabling general practitioners to focus on more complex cases, reducing pressure on hospitals, and freeing up general practices.

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines are informed by clinical expertise, are evidence-based, and represent best practice. While NICE guidance is not mandatory, the Government expects commissioners and service providers to take them fully into account in designing services that meet the needs of their local population and to work towards their implementation over time.