19
Feb 2020
Charity warns children with arthritis ‘facing delays to diagnosis’
Charity Versus Arthritis has warned that delays in diagnosing and treating children with arthritis are leaving them in pain and at an increased risk of lifelong damage.
Arthritis is a common ailment which causes inflammation and pain in a joint. There are currently over 10 million people in the UK who have arthritis or other similar conditions that affect the joints.
Although the condition is commonly thought to affect only older people, 15,000 children are currently suffering in the UK.
Most forms of childhood arthritis are known as Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA). Symptoms often improve as the child ages, meaning that they can go on to lead a normal life.
There is currently no cure for the condition, although there are treatments including physiotherapy, medication and surgery that can help to slow it down.
A spokesperson from the NHS said “Arthritis in young people is rare and diagnosing it can be difficult because symptoms are often vague and no specific test exists. NHS services across the country are committed to providing timely care to any child who needs it, and any individual concerns about delays should be raised with the relevant team.”
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Posted by Tony May, Partner/head of Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.
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