Rheumatology

Click to view Emergency Department (A&E) waiting times

74 People

Number of people in A&E department

0:18 Hours

Average wait to be seen by a clinician

1:47 Hours

Average time in the department

Contact details

Admin Team 0118 322 7969

Advice Line 0118 322 6574

Address

Level 2, Centre Block
Royal Berkshire Hospital
Craven Road
Reading
Berkshire RG1 5AN

Patient information leaflets

Rheumatology is dedicated to providing expert care for patients with a wide range of musculoskeletal and autoimmune conditions. Our team of highly experienced consultants, specialist nurses, and allied health professionals work together to deliver personalised, evidence-based treatment in a supportive and compassionate environment.

We offer comprehensive diagnostic services, advanced therapies, and long-term management for conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, vasculitis, osteoporosis, giant cell arteritis and many more. With a strong focus on patient education and self-management, we aim to empower individuals to take an active role in their care.

Whether you are newly diagnosed or require ongoing support, we are here to guide you through every step of your rheumatology journey.

We hold a variety of clinics across Berkshire and South Oxfordshire at Royal Berkshire Hospital, Bracknell Healthspace, Townlands Memorial Hospital, and West Berkshire Community Hospital.

Appointments - coming to our Rheumatology Clinics

Your initial appointment length is between 20-30 minutes, you may need some tests (bloods, X-Rays, and other scans) on the same day or later.

Please bring your current list of medications, specific questions that you would like to ask.
Your weight, blood pressure, urine sample may be checked.

After an initial consultation, you may have follow-up appointments with specialist nurses or consultants to discuss treatment plans and monitor progress. This may be face to face or over the phone.

The frequency of the reviews varies depending on your condition, disease activity or treatment. We will organise the follow ups for you.

If no further rheumatology assessments needed you will be discharged to your local GP.

Annual Reviews:

Patients with are offered annual reviews to assess disease activity and treatment effectiveness. These reviews often involve completing electronic Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (ePROMs) to guide clinical decisions.

Patient Initiated Follow-Up (PIFU):

This system allows patients to book follow-up appointments when needed, such as during disease flare-ups, if stable you will have a fixed schedule every 2 years. Eligibility for PIFU is determined by the treating clinician and will be discussed with you in clinic.

DAWN Blood Monitoring

DAWN blood monitoring is a way to check your blood regularly while you take rheumatology medicine. It helps us make sure the medicine is safe for you and working properly. Learn more by seeing which GP Surgeries are on DAWN.

If your GP is part of the DAWN blood monitoring system, we will post your blood test forms directly to you. However, you will still need to book an appointment to have your blood tests done, either at your local clinic or hospital based on the schedule recommended by your rheumatology clinic or the DAWN team.

Call: 0118 322 6574

Rheumatology Advice Line

Please check our FAQs first, as it may answer your question more quickly. The FAQ covers many common questions including medication, blood tests, appointments, and flare management and may provide a quicker answer.

We are currently receiving a high number of queries, and it may take a few days to respond.
The advice line is for rheumatology-related queries only. For general medical issues, please contact your GP. If you do leave a message, clearly state your full name, date of birth, NHS number, and contact details so we can get back to you as efficiently as possible.