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
Related wards
Related locations
Patient information leaflets
Rheumatology
Rheumatology provides specialist care for people with a wide range of joint, bone, connective tissue, and autoimmune disorders. This includes conditions such as inflammatory arthritis, osteoporosis, lupus, vasculitis, and other musculoskeletal diseases. Our service focuses on accurate diagnosis, personalised treatment plans, and long-term management to help patients reduce pain, improve mobility, and maintain quality of life.
Our rheumatology clinics are held across four locations: Royal Berkshire Hospital, Townlands Memorial Hospital, West Berkshire Community Hospital, and Bracknell Healthspace.
Our Rheumatology department is supported by a skilled multidisciplinary team dedicated to delivering high-quality, patient-centred care. Consultant rheumatologists lead the diagnosis and management of musculoskeletal and autoimmune conditions, working closely with specialist nurses, physician associates, and pharmacists who provide ongoing advice and support. Physiotherapists and occupational therapists also play an essential role in helping patients manage symptoms, improve mobility, and maintain independence. Together, we provide coordinated and compassionate care tailored to each patient’s needs.
DAWN Blood Monitoring
DAWN blood monitoring helps us keep you safe while you’re taking your rheumatology medication. Regular blood tests allow us to check that your medicine is working well and not causing any problems.
If your GP uses the DAWN system, we will send your blood test forms directly to your home. You will still need to book your own blood test appointments. These can be done at your GP practice, local clinic, or hospital, whichever is most convenient, following the timetable given by your rheumatology team or the DAWN team.
Rheumatology Advice Line
Before contacting the Advice line, please check our Rheumatology FAQs first, as you may find the answer you need more quickly. The FAQs cover common questions about medication, infection, Vaccines, blood tests, appointments, pregnancy and managing flares.
We are currently receiving a high number of calls, so it may take a few days for us to respond. The advice line is for rheumatology-related queries only. For any general health concerns, please contact your GP.
If you leave a message, please clearly state your full name, date of birth, NHS number, and contact details so we can get back to you as efficiently as possible.
Speak to our dedicated team on: 0118 322 6574
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 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.
Please see some of the Patient Information Leaflets produced by the Trust to help you with your recovery:
- Inflammatory Arthritis What Now
- Information For Patients With Suspected Inflammatory Arthritis
- Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs)
- Reducing Acute Swelling
- Reducing Chronic Inflammation
- Wrist Active Range Of Movement Exercises
There are lots of other resources that you can use:
- National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society: This is the patient support group for people living with Rheumatoid arthritis. There is a wealth of good information on the condition, managing your health appointments, medication and support.
- SMILE-RA (Self-Management Individualised Learning Environment): Supported self-management e-learning program to help you learn more about your rheumatoid arthritis and how to manage it. It aims to signpost you to good sources of support and give you the tools to learn how to self-manage your condition.
- Versus Arthritis: This has lots of information on different types of arthritis, fibromyalgia, fatigue, exercise and the different medications used to manage arthritis.
