David Rees AM sponsors National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society ‘Meet your Constituents’ Event

On Tuesday 18^th June, David Rees, AM for Aberavon, sponsored a ‘Meet your Constituents’ event with the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS), as part of Rheumatoid Arthritis Awareness Week 2014, which takes place between 16^th and 22^nd June. NRAS is working to raise the profile of this chronic autoimmune disease, which affects over 30,000 people in Wales.

During the event, David and other AMs met with NRAS Chief Executive Ailsa Bosworth and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients from across Wales, to discuss concerns about variations in the quality of services.

On the same day, the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS) released a major new report called ‘Invisible Disease: Rheumatoid Arthritis and Chronic Fatigue’, that highlighted new evidence about the high impact chronic fatigue has on people with rheumatoid arthritis and the urgent need to improve its management.

David said: “I am delighted to be able to lend my support to national RA Awareness Week and to have sponsored this event. It is very important to raise the profile of this chronic autoimmune disease, because it affects so many people in Wales and there are opportunities to improve early diagnosis and treatment. The findings in the new NRAS report about the impact of chronic fatigue are of concern and I look forward to working with the charity and its members to help improve care for patients.”