Parliamentary summit on better care for arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions

Musculoskeletal conditions, including arthritis and back pain , affect around 7 million people or 1 in 3 Australians, and are a leading cause of chronic pain.

As our most expensive disease group, they cost the health system almost $15 billion dollars a year. People living with these conditions have to spend thousands of dollars in out of pocket healthcare expenses. There is evidence that some of this money is spent on the wrong – and in some cases harmful – care. Australia is not getting the best return on its financial investment, including its investment in research. Even more importantly, millions of Australians are missing out on the care and treatment that will support them to contribute as workers, carers and members of the community.

This is our first interactive summit is aimed at driving practical reforms to provide better, earlier care for chronic musculoskeletal conditions that is affordable and accessible to all Australians, and to support greater investment in impactful research.