Versus Arthritis Launches Impossible to Ignore Campaign

That the Parliament welcomes the launch of the Impossible to Ignore campaign by the charity, Versus Arthritis, which calls for arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions to be a priority at a national and local level following restoration of NHS and public services after the COVID-19 pandemic; understands that over 1.5 million people in Scotland are currently living with arthritis or a musculoskeletal condition; acknowledges that research conducted by Versus Arthritis between April and June 2020 has highlighted that 40% of respondents in Scotland did not have access to the care and treatment that they needed to manage their pain, while 43% reported that appointments had been cancelled, rising to 50% for those self-isolating; welcomes calls from the charity that NHS boards' remobilisation plans should specifically include provision of services to support people with musculoskeletal conditions and arthritis; agrees that people living with arthritis should be directly involved in shaping the development and delivery of services in order to improve patient-reported outcomes and satisfaction, and supports Versus Arthritis in its ongoing work to support those living with condition.