Charity Arthritis Care has backed a House of Commons report that criticised the level of training given to doctors in spotting the symptoms of the condition.

Head of policy and campaigns at the body Federico Moscogiuri said the report confirmed anecdotal evidence from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) sufferers about their treatment that stated many doctors took a long time to diagnose the symptoms.

According to the parliamentary report, this meant that thousands of sufferers endure unnecessary extra pain for months before starting to receive treatment.

"Early diagnosis and referral is key for treating and managing RA, which is why greater awareness of the condition and better GP training are so important," he added.

Mr Moscogiuri stated that Arthritis Care wants the government to appoint a "musculoskeletal czar" to help improve the standard of care for those with arthritis.

People suffering from arthritis may find that mobile ultrasound is one form of treatment that helps to ease their pain.

The House of Commons report follows a report last July from the National Audit Office, which said that there has been no improvement in the speed at which people are diagnosed and treated for arthritis in the past three years.