It found patients in England waited 21 weeks for treatment, well in excess of the three month “therapeutic window” in which it is best to treat to maximise chances of a good outcome.

However, on average 12 weeks of the 21 week total delay was caused by patients themselves failing to recognise symptoms and not going to see a doctor.

The study, in the journal Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, noted: “In the UK, a lack of awareness of RA (rheumatoid arthritis) and its presenting symptoms explained much of the delay in seeking help.”

The nine-week wait in the UK from seeing a GP to receiving treatment, based on 50 patients from Birmingham, was shorter than in any other country in the study, which included Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Sweden.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/8679442/Unacceptable-delays-for-arthritis-treatment.html