First Minister: don’t turn your back on arthritis

We need an MSK Action Plan for Scotland now

It’s time to face the facts. 1.7 million Scots live with a musculoskeletal (MSK) condition like arthritis. That’s one in three people living with daily pain, fatigue and disability.

But time and again, successive governments have turned their back on people with arthritis.

It doesn’t have to be this way. This Scottish Government must face arthritis head on.

We’re calling on the First Minister to commit to an MSK Action Plan for Scotland so that everyone with arthritis gets the care and support they need - whenever they need it, and wherever they live.

Take action today. Add your name to our open letter. 

Sign the open letter

Bobby’s story

“I was diagnosed quite quickly, in 2020, but then came a two-and-a-half year wait for an appointment before I was even put on the waiting list for knee replacements.

It was hellish at times, trying to keep going through the pain and keep a smile on your face and, in the end, the long painful wait took a toll. I was always a happy-go-lucky guy, everyone bounced off me, and here I was now, all doom-and-gloom, on antidepressants and worried about my future.

The Government don’t understand the impact arthritis can have on your life. It’s quite something, and I feel lucky I’ve come out of the other side. Arthritis took so much away from me physically and mentally. We can’t let this happen to anyone else.”

Time and again we’ve shown what we can achieve when we come together and speak out. Join Bobby and call on the First Minister to face arthritis head on.

Sign the open letter
Bobby's story: “Before, I was a happy-go-lucky guy. Arthritis changed that."

Bobby, from Stranraer in the South of Scotland, was diagnosed in 2020 with osteoarthritis in both knees. Living in immense pain, it was more than two years before Bobby was added to the waiting list for surgery. Today, he encourages others living with the pain of arthritis to reach out to others. 

Read Bobby's story
Amy's story: "I suffered with chronic pain and hypermobility from a young age."

Diagnosed with inflammatory arthritis as a teenager, Amy from Dundee, Scotland, was silently struggling in constant pain at school and had to fight to get the support she needed. Now training to be a doctor, she faces long working hours and is worried how she will cope managing her condition at work.

Read Amy's story
Mairi's story: “Arthritis shouldn't depend on where you live."

Mairi McKay, 51, from Islay off Scotland, was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in her early 30s. She says living on an island made it challenging to access the support she needed and, until recently, every consultant’s appointment or x-ray involved travelling for 10 hours and an overnight stay.

Read Mairi's story
Ken's story: "I suffered with chronic pain and hypermobility from a young age."

Ken, 67, from Stirling, started suffering pain in his right hip in his late 20s. As a nurse, Ken suspected arthritis but the suggestion was dismissed. He was eventually diagnosed with osteoarthritis aged 50, by which time his health had deteriorated so badly, he was forced to retire early.

Read Ken's story

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