Rheumatology

What we do

Our Rheumatology service provides care for people who need care for:

• Inflammatory arthritis including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, juvenile onset inflammatory arthritis and reactive arthritis
• Autoimmune and inflammatory conditions including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), scleroderma, Sjogren’s syndrome, myositis, vasculitis, polymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritis
• Autoinflammatory conditions including familial Mediterranean fever
• Crystal arthritis including gout and pseudogout

Some people with these conditions will require ongoing review by a rheumatologist. However, some people may only require a period of treatment and stabilisation before their care can be handed back to their GP.

We can also assist with the initial diagnosis and management of several non-inflammatory musculoskeletal and pain conditions, particularly in cases where there are atypical features which raise the possibility of an inflammatory or autoimmune diagnosis.

However, these conditions generally do not require ongoing rheumatology review and can then be managed in the community with the support of GPs and allied health. These conditions include:

• Back and neck pain
• Osteoarthritis
• Fibromyalgia

Based on the information provided in your referral, you may be offered an appointment in a physiotherapy advanced practice assessment clinic. If this occurs, you will be sent detailed information about the physiotherapy clinic process.

What we do not do

We do not provide ongoing care for non-inflammatory or non-autoimmune conditions, including:

• Osteoarthritis
• Chronic pain syndromes, including fibromyalgia
• Joint hypermobility, Ehlers Danlos syndrome (EDS), Marfan’s syndrome or other connective tissue disorders

These conditions do not require a rheumatologist to make the diagnosis unless there are atypical features that raise the possibility of an inflammatory or autoimmune disease. These conditions can generally be managed in the community with the support of your GP and allied health.  

If you have hip or knee osteoarthritis, please consider referral to the Osteoarthritis Hip and Knee Service (OAHKS).

If you are concerned that you have a type of Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, other than Hypermobile EDS, or another connective tissue disorder for which there is genetic testing, consider referral to the genetics clinic.

If you require a multidisciplinary pain management service or specialist pain management input, consider referral to the pain management unit.

Specialty clinics

We provide a specialised service for all rheumatology conditions. Each of our clinics is themed to focus on a particular aspect of rheumatology but also provide a general rheumatology service.

Our specialty clinics include:

• Rheumatology Systemic Autoimmune Diseases (SAID) Clinic focuses on the diagnosis and management of conditions such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), scleroderma, Sjogren’s, myositis, polymyalgia rheumatica, giant cell arteritis and vasculitis
• Rheumatology Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Clinic focuses on the diagnosis and management of rheumatoid arthritis
• Rheumatology Spondyloarthritides (SpA) focuses on the management of spondyloarthritides including ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis
• Rheumatology Biologics focuses on people who are receiving biologic and targeted synthetic medications for the treatment of their rheumatological condition
• Back Assessment Clinic focuses on treatment, assessment and ongoing assistance for people with spinal disorders
• Rapid Access Rheumatology Clinic focuses on the assessment, initial management and stabilisation of patients who require rapid rheumatological assessment