Our 5 priorities for government
It's time to take arthritis seriously
For too long, arthritis has been dismissed and ignored. Together, we can change that.
Arthritis UK is the UK’s largest arthritis charity. We are campaigners, carers, researchers, healthcare professionals, friends, parents, fundraisers and volunteers, all united in our ambition to ensure that one day, no one will have to live with the pain, fatigue and isolation caused by arthritis.
Arthritis is a set of serious conditions that impact the lives of over 10 million people in the UK. It can impact a person’s ability to work, look after family or live well.
Arthritis must not be dismissed by people in positions of power.
We work with experts, policy makers, and people with arthritis, and understand what needs to change and how, so that everyone living with arthritis has access to the care and support they need to live the lives they choose.
It is a time to come together and demand that the Government makes arthritis a priority.
"For too long, arthritis has not been taken seriously. This can’t go on. People with arthritis cannot continue to live without the right support and care they need to live healthy and happy lives."
Our 5 priorities
- Ensure arthritis is a priority in national health plans including improved data.
- Bring down waiting times for people with arthritis and support them while waiting.
- Increase funding into musculoskeletal research to match its severe impact.
- Improve work-related support for people with arthritis.
- Strengthen care and support for children and young people with arthritis.
We want to tell politicians that people with arthritis must not be forgotten. We need the UK Government to commit appropriate levels of funding to tackle NHS backlogs. We need innovation in health services that transforms treatment and care, with dedicated clinical leadership to deliver it. We need additional investment in life-changing research to find the treatments of tomorrow, and we need the right support for those in education or at work to ensure they can thrive today.
How our campaigning made change happen in 2025
At Arthritis UK, we won’t rest until everyone with arthritis has access to the treatments and support they need to live the life they choose, with real hope of a cure in the future.
It’s a bold ambition. And we know we can’t do it alone.
That’s why, with your help, we’ve continued to campaign for lasting change on the issues that matter most to our community. From disability benefits and waiting times to better support in schools, here’s what we achieved together in 2025.
Help us campaign
We need the UK Government to take arthritis seriously. But we can’t do this alone. Join the thousands of others in our community campaigning to create change by calling on the UK Government to make arthritis a priority.
