A report published yesterday by the National Audit Office (NAO) found that previous estimates of the number of Rheumatoid Arthritis sufferers in the UK may have been vastly underestimated.  Chris Groom, audit manager for the report said:

“We estimate that 580,000 adults in England have the condition, which is higher than existing estimates of 400,000 for the UK, and that there are 26,000 new cases each year in England, compared to existing estimates of 12,000 for the UK”. 

These figures are truly staggering and even more worrying when you consider that previous estimates took into account the whole of the UK and not just England. 

The report detailed a number of other findings, including:

•  20% of people with RA delayed seeking treatment for more than a year
• 18% of patients visited their GP more than 8 times before they were diagnosed with RA
• 60% of GPs do not use specific guidance or criteria to help them diagnose RA
• 20% of RA patients felt they had received insufficient information about continuing employment after diagnosis
• 3/4 of Primary Care Trusts have not assessed the number of people with RA in their area

The National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS) responded to the report by calling for a campaign to increase public awareness of rheumatoid arthritis.  Ailsa Bosworth, Chief Executive and Founder of NRAS said:

“A public awareness campaign like those undertaken to tackle other common chronic diseases would make the public, health professionals and commissioners aware of the urgent need for specialist treatment to prevent rapid irreversible joint damage that can lead to permanent disability and often loss of employment”

Revised estimates suggest that RA costs the NHS £560 million a year, with an additional cost to the economy of around £1.8 billion through sick leave and work-related disability.  With costs like this, any campaign which improves access to early diagnosis and treatment is without doubt a necessary and essential investment.