RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS TREATMENT

That this House congratulates the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society on its caring activities; notes the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) Final Appraisal Document; is aware of the pain, and the medical and social problems, faced by people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis; further notes that effective treatment can save the NHS significant sums in the longer term; further notes that the NICE decision would deny 60,000 people with rheumatoid arthritis access to a range of anti-TNF drugs and could leave them facing high levels of pain, the possibility of more surgery and long-term disability; and therefore calls on the Government to ensure that anti-TNF drugs are available to rheumatoid arthritis sufferers according to their clinical needs.