Community Rheumatology Services

Service Information

Clinical lead: Dr Ben Empson

Our Rheumatology service is led by a GP with Extended Role in Rheumatology, supported by a multidisciplinary team of physiotherapists, GPs with extended roles, rheumatology nurse specialists and academic rheumatology consultants. We have X-ray and community ultrasound facilities and support research nurses.

Our community rheumatology service has three main aims:

1.Diagnosis and treatment of early inflammatory arthritis and other common rheumatology related conditions;

2. Education and intensive treatment of inflammatory arthritis flexed and delivered locally in the community;

3. To support and promote primary care rheumatology research.

Treatments offered where appropriate:
– Drug treatments
– Blood tests for monitoring of drug therapy
– Joint assessment and physical examination
– Joint injections as indicated
– Access to physiotherapy, occupational therapy, podiatry and psychological support
– Access to local and national support, advice and guidance on benefits
– Access to psychologist and physiotherapist led to pain management.

Locations

Inclusion Criteria

Musculoskeletal problems:
- Osteoarthritis
- Fibromyalgia
- Overuse injuries/tenosynovitis or requiring local injections
- Shoulders
- Knees
- Plantar Fasciitis elbows
- Wrists and carpal tunnel syndrome
Suspected Connective Tissue Disorders:
- SLE
- PM/DM
- Systemic sclerosis
- Inflammatory arthropathies
- RA/Sjogren
- Reactive arthritis
- Ser-negative arthritides
- Crystal arthropathies
- Goutpseudogout
- PMR

Exclusion Criteria

Patients under the age of 16
Septic arthritis
Multisystem vasculitides

Diagnostics Provided

Not applicable

Referral method

Referrals should be made using the standard referral template, emailed to modality.rheumatology@nhs.net
The community services admin team can be contacted on 0121 250 1592 with any admin queries.