New guides for employees and employers to help people with rheumatoid arthritis to stay in work

Two booklets ñ one for employers and one for employees ñ have been launched today by the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS) to help people living with the disabling disease rheumatoid arthritis to be able stay in work for longer.

The booklets, which are being launched at a reception at the House of Commons, are in response to the NRAS I Want To Work survey which surveyed 782 people with rheumatoid arthritis. The survey reveals that:

ï Nearly 30% of respondents had given up work because of RA; over a quarter of them within one year of diagnosis and over half within 6 years of diagnosis.

ï A massive 86% of employed respondents had either already experienced or anticipated experiencing key barriers to remaining in employment

ï Over a third of people (37.8%) with RA felt that it had an impact on their career progression

ï 50% of respondents in employment said that they had been offered some support to help them make changes to working conditions or equipment to make their work easier

ï However, one fifth of respondents found employers unhelpful or very unhelpful, and 13% (30 out of 229) said that their employer had wanted them to leave once they became aware of the respondent having a long term health problem

In response to these alarming findings, NRAS has developed two booklets. One is for employers providing information about RA and how they can help support people with RA in the workplace. The second booklet is targeted at employees and provides information on the support they can expect to receive in the workplace, and how they can help themselves.

Ailsa Bosworth, Chief Executive and founder of NRAS, comments: ìOur survey results suggest that many employees do not know about their rights to adjustments in the work place or have not been able to access them. These booklets are designed to help both employer be more supportive and employee with RA to work to their full potential for as long as they want tol.î

There are 400,000 people living with rheumatoid arthritis in the UK. RA is a chronic systemic disease affecting the joints and it can also affect other organs. It is an incredibly painful disease that can cause severe disability. The condition can shorten life expectancy from around 6-10 years and can have a major impact on a personís life. Forty two per cent of RA patients are registered disabled within 3 years and four fifths of patients are moderately to severely disabled within 20 years of diagnosis.

Dame Carol Black, National Director for Health and Work, who will be speaking at the launch of the booklets, comments: ìI welcome the launch of these booklets which will help people with rheumatoid arthritis address some of the challenges associated with the disease in the workplace. In the modern workplace it is important that jobs are adaptable and flexible to facilitate keeping people at work or returning to work more quickly following a period of illness.î

David Amess, MP for Southend West and Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Rheumatoid Arthritis, comments: ìThe health service has an important contribution to make for people with long term health conditions if the Governmentís target of 80% of working age citizens to be in employment by 2010 is to be reached. Providing access to rheumatology services with the right care at the right time will help many people with RA to face the challenges of living and working with the condition and stop many people with RA having to give up work.î

The booklets ëI want to work: A self help guide for people with rheumatoid arthritis for employeesí and ëWhen an employee has rheumatoid arthritis: A guide for employersí are available free of charge by contacting NRAS on 0845 458 3969 or visiting: