Arthritis UK Scotland is calling on each political party to have a credible plan to improve the lives of people with musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions like arthritis, as the countdown to the Holyrood elections starts.
The charity is calling for a better deal for the 1.7 million people in Scotland living with arthritis and other musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions, including 48,000 children and young people, in its manifesto for the 2026 Scottish elections.
This is because there is currently no plan that considers the needs of this group, which totals one in three people in Scotland, living with the pain, fatigue, disability and the mental and financial strain these conditions cause.
In Scotland, one in three people with arthritis/MSK conditions say their condition severely or very severely impacts their life. And one in three people diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis on the first day of the new Scottish Parliament will have been forced out of work due to their condition, by the end of that same parliament, reports Arthritis UK Scotland’s manifesto.
The document sets out the steps the next Scottish government must take to tackle the impact of these conditions, currently causing unnecessary chronic pain and disability.
It calls for:
- A relentless focus on tackling orthopaedic waiting times. Parts of Scotland continue to lose out and overall, demand continues to grow. A national plan that sets out how targets will be met must be created.
- Access to surgery to be based on need and adheres to guidance, not applying body mass index policies as eligibility criteria.
Bobby from Stranraer
Bobby was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in 2020, but it was more than two years before Bobby was even added to the waiting list for surgery. He said:
I’d been suffering with a great deal of pain in both knees for some time. It was like someone was hitting my knees with a mash hammer. It played havoc with my thoughts, my mind, my life. The mental impact was phenomenal. You feel like you’re a burden when you can’t do things. You try to keep going through the pain.
Deborah Alsina MBE, Chief Executive of Arthritis UK, said:
The next Scottish parliament must tackle orthopaedic waiting times, improve services and deliver a long-term plan for better musculoskeletal health.
These are urgent priorities. People with arthritis in Scotland are being let down. They can wait years for diagnosis, struggle to access treatment and face barriers to work and independence. They are 20% less likely to be in work than people without arthritis, and people in the poorest communities are hit hardest. It is a public health issue, an equality and workforce challenge.
Alan McGinley, Policy and Engagement Manager for Scotland, Arthritis UK, said:
None of the political parties in Scotland have a credible plan on how to tackle musculoskeletal conditions, yet one in three people in Scotland living with them. Of these people, 62% say they live in pain most or all the time due to their arthritis. This means the needs of this group are not being addressed and that just isn’t good enough.
A recent survey commissioned by Arthritis UK and carried out by YouGov, surveyed nearly 8,000 people with arthritis in the UK. Of these, over 1,000 were from Scotland.
The results showed:
- Over 60% (62%) are living in pain most of the time due to their arthritis
- Nearly 40% (37%) felt their condition was not well managed
- 45 % said their ability to exercise was affected severely or very severely by their symptoms
- Nearly 70% (69%) said waiting for treatment had an impact on their mental health
- Nearly 50% (49%) said their symptoms were not taken seriously by healthcare professionals
- 56% said arthritis had impacted on their working lives
For more information contact: Arthritis UK
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