People Before Profit Cllr Shaun Harkin said,
“A large proportion of the 500,000 people living with arthritis and related musculoskeletal conditions are having to self manage their condition with minimal support and have been waiting years for orthopaedic intervention. The situation is disgraceful.
“Too many people have been abandoned to struggle with chronic pain, impacting all aspects of their lives.
“I’ve signed the Versus Arthritis pledge to give my commitment to supporting the campaign to slash orthopaedic surgery waiting times, to invest in musculoskeletal services to help people with the long term management and the rehabilitation of people living with arthritis.
“We need long term investment in our national health and social care system to properly address this issue. Right now orthopaedic interventions are an option for only those who can afford it.
“The proper musculoskeletal advice and support, in a timely manner, will enable people to better live with arthritis.
“We need to properly prioritise the health service with a robust funding programme to massively reduce all waiting lists and pay workers properly.”
