Found: on Dynamics of Ethnicity, University of Manchester (QQ 125Œ135 )All-Party Parliamentary Group for Axial

Found: Public services: lessons from coronavirus All-Party Parliamentary Group for Axial

Found: Delivering Core NHS and Care Services during the Pandemic and Beyond All-Party Parliamentary Group on Axial

Found: Delivering Core NHS and Care Services during the Pandemic and Beyond National Axial

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she plans to incorporate training on axial spondyloarthritis as a core component of continuous professional development within primary care.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Getting It Right First Time Rheumatology Programme is working to improve the early diagnosis of people with conditions such as axial spondyloarthritis. The programme published a national report on rheumatology in 2021, which makes a series of recommendations to support equitable and consistent access to diagnostic tests.

The programme has also worked with the National Axial Spondyloarthritis Society to develop a pathway for axial spondyloarthritis to support clinicians to provide the best patient care and allow patients and commissioners to see what they can expect from a service.

Additionally, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has produced a range of guidance to support early diagnosis of conditions such as axial spondyloarthritis. Its Quality Standard on spondyloarthritis [QS170] sets out that adults with suspected axial or peripheral spondyloarthritis should be referred to a rheumatologist. Quality Standards are important in setting out to patients, the public, commissioners, and providers what a high-quality service should look like in a particular area of care. Whilst providers and commissioners must have regard to NICE Quality Standards in planning and delivering services, they do not provide a comprehensive service specification and are not mandatory.

General practitioners are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge remains up-to-date and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development. This activity should include taking account of new research and developments in guidance, such as that produced by NICE, to ensure that they can continue to provide high quality care to all patients.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department is taking steps to reduce waiting times for axial spondyloarthritis diagnosis.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Getting It Right First Time Rheumatology Programme is working to improve the early diagnosis of people with conditions such as axial spondyloarthritis. The programme published a national report on rheumatology in 2021, which makes a series of recommendations to support equitable and consistent access to diagnostic tests.

The programme has also worked with the National Axial Spondyloarthritis Society to develop a pathway for axial spondyloarthritis to support clinicians to provide the best patient care and allow patients and commissioners to see what they can expect from a service.

Additionally, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has produced a range of guidance to support early diagnosis of conditions such as axial spondyloarthritis. Its Quality Standard on spondyloarthritis [QS170] sets out that adults with suspected axial or peripheral spondyloarthritis should be referred to a rheumatologist. Quality Standards are important in setting out to patients, the public, commissioners, and providers what a high-quality service should look like in a particular area of care. Whilst providers and commissioners must have regard to NICE Quality Standards in planning and delivering services, they do not provide a comprehensive service specification and are not mandatory.

General practitioners are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge remains up-to-date and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development. This activity should include taking account of new research and developments in guidance, such as that produced by NICE, to ensure that they can continue to provide high quality care to all patients.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he is taking steps through the forthcoming Major Conditions Strategy to help improve the diagnosis and management of axial spondyloarthritis.

Answered by Will Quince

On 24 January 2023, we announced our plan to publish the Major Conditions Strategy. This strategy will explore how we can tackle the key drivers of ill-health in England, reduce pressure on the National Health Service and reduce ill-health-related labour market inactivity.

The Strategy will focus on six major groups of conditions, including musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders. MSK conditions affect people across the life course and cover a range of conditions, including inflammatory conditions such as axial spondyloarthritis.

We have now published our initial report ‘Major Conditions Strategy: Case for change and our strategic framework’. It sets out what we have learned so far, and shares what we plan to focus on next to develop the final strategy.

For MSK conditions, it sets out that we will look to: improve secondary prevention and the use of non-pharmaceutical interventions, embedding a biopsychosocial and personalised approach and building upon the progress made through the NHS Long Term Plan; advocate the use of population health management methodologies to target the right kind of support based on individual circumstances and need to those who need it most; and aim to improve services where medical treatment is necessary.

Following publication of the strategic framework, we will continue to develop the strategy, informed by the Call for Evidence and ongoing engagement with stakeholders.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the diagnosis time for people with Axial Spondyloarthritis (a) in the Congleton constituency and (b) nationally.

Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time programme has worked with the National Axial Spondyloarthritis Society to create a pathway to support clinicians to improve the diagnosis of Axial Spondyloarthritis, including in Congleton. The pathway is available at the following link:

https://www.actonaxialspa.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Rheumatology-Axial-Spondyloarthritis-Pathway.pdf

Found: RA), psoriatic arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, non-radiographic axial

Found: Professor Colin Howie University Of Edinburgh Ian Macdonald National Axial

Found: Week in raising awareness of musculoskeletal health, and gives thanks to the work of the National Axial

Found: Highland Rheumatology Unit Galapagos Glasgow Caledonian University/Ageing and Health National Axial

Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it plans to improve disease control rates for (a) rheumatoid arthritis, (b) axial spondyloarthritis and (c) psoriatic arthritis.

Answered by Yousaf, Humza - First Minister

The Scottish Government expects health care professionals to deliver high quality person-centred care in line with best practice guidance. The NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) guideline on management of rheumatoid arthritis in adults (NG100) is available on its website: www.nice.org.uk. The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) guideline on management of psoriatic arthritis in adults (SIGN 121) is available on its website: www.sign.ac.uk.