Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps is his Department taking to ensure people with suspected autoimmune or inflammatory conditions are referred to rheumatology services within 3 weeks.

We are committed to supporting people with long-term conditions and ensuring they receive the support that they need, including referral to specialist services as appropriate.

To support health and care professionals in the early diagnosis and management of rheumatoid autoimmune or inflammatory conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published expert guidance. This guidance states that people with suspected persistent synovitis, a condition closely associated with RA, should be assessed in a rheumatology service within three weeks of referral.

The Getting It Right First Time Programme for Rheumatology has published a report for healthcare professionals on the diagnosis and management of a range of rheumatic and musculoskeletal disorders, including autoimmune and inflammatory conditions. The report includes several recommendations designed to help reduce the number of unnecessary hospital visits and reduce waiting times for outpatient rheumatology services, including guidance on best approach for establishing patient initiated follow up, and specialist advice.

More widely, the Elective Reform Plan recognises that the traditional delivery of outpatient care, via a hospital appointment with a specialist, can be resource intensive and is often not the right model for clinicians, patients, or their carers. Digital solutions, updated financial flows, appropriate job planning, and time and investment will lead to meaningful reform to outpatient services, including rheumatology services.

The 10-Year Health Plan sets out further our vision for elective care by 2035, where most interactions no longer take place in a hospital building, instead happening virtually or via neighbourhood services. Planned care will be more efficient, timely, and effective and will put control in the hands of patients, including those with suspected autoimmune or inflammatory conditions.

We are also committed to transforming and expanding diagnostic services and speeding up waiting times for tests. This includes investment in new and expanded community diagnostic centres, which is supporting a key Government priority to shift care from the hospital to the community, and offer the tests needed to support diagnosis of suspected rheumatoid autoimmune or inflammatory conditions such as RA.