The department currently has 5 consultants, Dr Malgosia Magliano, Dr Sally Edmonds, Dr Richard Stevens, Dr Chetan Narshi and Dr Jasroop Chana. In addition, our services are provided by a multidisciplinary team including specialist rheumatology nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and podiatrists.

We have a busy day unit based in the Mandeville Wing at Stoke Mandeville Hospital offering infusions of biologic, cytotoxic and other intra-venous therapies. The department also provides a consulting service for the hospital in-patients based at Stoke Mandeville and Wycombe Hospitals.

The Rheumatology Helpline (01296 315960) is an answerphone service available to our patients. Calls are returned within 24hrs during the weekdays and 48hours over the weekend. We provide patient education programs as well as training sessions for colleagues working in primary care.

We have access to a range of diagnostic facilities, including X-Ray, CT, MRI, DEXA, NCS/EMG and musculoskeletal ultrasound. The department is developing an ‘in-house’ musculoskeletal ultrasound service to support Early Arthritis Clinics.

We are a training department with 2 specialist Rheumatology registrars, one GP trainee and one foundation year doctor. We also have medical students and doctors from other specialties who attend our clinics. In addition we are involved Research and Development and have one Research Nurse with an active research portfolio.

We provide specialist services including:

• Paediatric rheumatology (Dr Sally Edmonds)
  
  
• Osteoporosis clinics (Dr Malgorzata Magliano)
  
  
• Early arthritis clinics
  
  
• Emergency rheumatology clinics
  
  
• Physiotherapy – led Ankylosing spondylitis clinic
  
  
• Combined clinics with other specialties to provide necessary expertise for more complex problems e.g. hand surgeons
  
  
• Clinical psychology service for rheumatology patients
  
  
• Links with the chronic pain service in management of patients with chronic pain including involvement in a pain management programme
  
  
• Joint and soft tissue injections
  
  
• Intravenous therapies for rheumatology patients with conditions such as inflammatory arthritis, connective tissue diseases, Raynaud’s phenomenon and osteoporosis