I'm a Blackpool resident and I'm calling on the government to take arthritis seriously
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Mary Waterhouse was invited to join Chief Executive of Versus Arthritis, Deborah Alsina, for the hand-in of the letter on October 10, two days ahead of World Arthritis Day.
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Hide AdIt came after the 72-year-old, who has osteoarthritis, backed the campaign and shared her story.
The letter outlines five priorities for the government to commit to; including to make arthritis a health priority and tackle waiting times for essential planned care – like knee and hip replacements – so that people with arthritis can live life on their own terms again.
It calls for more investment into musculoskeletal research to help drive life-changing breakthroughs.
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Hide AdIt also focuses on support, for people with arthritis to stay in or return to work, and giving the right tools to ensure children and young people with arthritis can thrive at school, at home, and in the community.
Mary said: “I think the Open Letter is important because anyone can get arthritis, the young and the old. It changes your life; everything you do is centered around arthritis and pain.
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Hide Ad“The pain can be awful, especially if you push yourself too hard and have a flare. You feel so bad that you can't even get out of bed on your own.
“I can’t walk anywhere. It’s just agony. I try not to let it affect me, but I can only stand for about 10 minutes, then the pain in my back has me bending over.”
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Hide AdMary is one of ten million people in the UK with osteoarthritis, a condition that occurs when the body can no longer maintain the joint to keep it healthy and pain-free.
She was diagnosed with osteoarthritis two and a half years ago and has been on a waiting list for a knee replacement for a year and two months.
Without being able to access the treatment she needs, she lives with constant pain, and can barely walk, needing either crutches or a mobility scooter to get around.
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Hide AdShe added: “It’s nearly a year now since they put me on the list and I’ve no idea what is happening. There’s been no updates.
It’s devastating every time I don’t hear anything. We need better transparency - we want to know what’s going on.
“Arthritis is not taken seriously enough by the Government. The waiting list is just the tip of the iceberg. I was struggling for five years before this, with my knee and my ankle."
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Hide AdAt Westminster, Mary will be calling the government to commit to tackling long NHS waiting times to help people with arthritis get back to their lives
Deborah Alsina, Chief Executive of Versus Arthritis, said: "For too long, arthritis has not been taken seriously. This can’t go on. People with arthritis cannot continue to live without the right support and care they need to live healthy and happy lives.
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Hide Ad“We need the UK Government to commit to tackling NHS backlogs. We need innovation in health services that transforms treatment and care, with dedicated clinical leadership to deliver it.
“We need additional investment in life-changing research to find the treatments of tomorrow, and we need the right support for those in education or at work to ensure they can thrive today."
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