A trainee GP in East Ham has won a prize from a medical research charity for highlighting the importance of diagnosing and treating patients earlier for conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.

Dr Thaven Chetty, who works at the Market Street Health Group on Market Street, is the regional winner of the GP trainee prize in musculoskeletal medicine awarded by Arthritis Research UK.

His winning entry was a study on the importance of testing patients’ blood for autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, even though patients may not present signs and symptoms of the condition.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, disabling condition in which the body’s immune system attacks the joints, causing pain, joint damage and reduced quality of life. Although there is currently no cure, newer biologic treatments such as anti-TNF therapies pioneered by Arthritis Research UK have made a huge difference to patients’ lives.

Dr Chetty is a GP trainee currently training at the GP Vocational Training Scheme at the London Deanery in Newham. He is one of only six prize winners from around the country and was awarded a year’s membership of the Primary Care Rheumatology Society (PCRS).

Dr Chetty, said: “Musculoskeletal problems including rheumatoid arthritis are very common in the UK and are a major cause pain and disability, so I was delighted to win this prize from Arthritis Research UK.”

Keir Windsor, education manager at Arthritis Research UK, said: “We’re committed to improving the care given to patients with arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions and understand that general practice trainees, as the GPs of tomorrow, will play a crucial role in delivering the care to the many people that live with these conditions.”