Call for better understanding on arthritis

Peter Jupp, whose three-year-old daughter Rosie suffers from juvenile idiopathic arthritis, spoke after a poll for Arthritis Research UK found nearly a quarter of British adults have a poor understanding of the condition.

He said that while there is no cure for the condition, early diagnosis and treatment can make a huge difference to sufferers.

Mr Jupp, from Essex, said he took Rosie to the doctors after noticing that she began to wince in pain when they encouraged her to walk around as normal. “Rosie’s symptoms rapidly got worse and within a matter of weeks she would begin most mornings crying in what seemed like pain, and refusing to get up from the sofa after she’d had her milk,” he said.

“We have had to watch Rosie go through so much and as parents it has been heart breaking so see her undergo the constant hospital visits and tests to get a diagnosis.”

Arthritis affects 10 million people across the UK, including 15,000 children.