Fiona hosts Arthritis Research UK Event in Parliament and calls upon the Government to make Arthritis a health priority
Fiona hosted Arthritis Research UK’s Annual Summer Parliamentary reception, where attendees were able to hear first-hand the experiences of people living and working with arthritis, and find out more about the ground breaking research taking place across the UK to find a cure for the condition.
Described by Arthritis Research UK as a “prominent Arthritis Champion”, Fiona spoke of her own experiences of living and working with arthritis, alongside giving an overview of all the progress that has been made in this area to date and inspiring yet more action. Julian Worricker, broadcaster and supporter of Arthritis Research UK, also attended the event and shared his personal story.
The event informed MPs and Peers about what positive action they can take moving forward, by acting on the four key recommendations in Arthritis Research UK’s Prevent, Transform, Cure manifesto:
- Make musculoskeletal conditions a public health priority
- Ensure people have timely access to health and care services that enable them to improve their musculoskeletal health
- Ensure people with musculoskeletal conditions have fair and timely access to services that support them to be in work, including financial support
- Protect the UK’s position as a global leader in science and sustain the benefits of the life-science sector to the economy
Fiona said
“This is a pivotal time for people with arthritis. Millions of people in the UK are living with the pain, fatigue and isolation of arthritis without the support they need – I know this myself all too well. We need to put the needs of people with arthritis higher up on the political agenda so we can transform the lives of those affected. This event was vital in getting MPs engaged and informed about this condition which affects so many people, and was a powerful and much-needed call to action.”
The event follows a meeting with the Parliamentary under Secretary of State at the Department of Health, David Mowat, after Fiona had previously spoken on the issue in a House of Commons debate and told the story of Constituent, Christine Walker.