In ten years’ time, two-thirds of adults will be living with multiple long-term conditions leaving them twice as likely not to be in work. In 2025, 2.4 million people are already out of work due to long-term sickness. The new Labour government has made fixing Britain’s worklessness crisis a key priority, as is building an NHS “fit for the future”. Both missions will require a comprehensive, joined-up approach which considers the needs and experiences of the 17 million people living with musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions like arthritis.
The NHS’s ten-year health plan is a vital opportunity to do this. Due to be published before the summer, the plan will lay out exactly how the new government intend to revitalise the NHS; transforming it from a service in “critical condition” as diagnosed by last year’s Darzi report to one which offers quick diagnosis, access to the right treatment and universal rehabilitation.
