We have listened to the experiences of people who use our Rheumatology Service and our staff and we are making some immediate changes to improve the service.

The Rheumatology Service deals with the investigation, diagnosis and management of patients with arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions. This includes over 200 disorders affecting joints, bones, muscles and soft tissues, for example: rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory arthritis, fibromyalgia, osteoporosis, connective tissue disorders, ankylosing spondylitis, Paget’s disease, psoriatic arthritis, polymyalgia rheumatica, gout, regional pain and hypermobility.

The changes we are making will enable us to improve the experience and outcomes for people using the service, from calling the helpline, through to assessment, referral and treatment. These changes will be reviewed and help to inform an improved longer-term sustainable service.

What is changing:

• An operational manager will have single line of sight over the whole Rheumatology Service. This will enable us to apply best practice across our service, identify areas of inequality and improve the way the service runs.
• Work on the Rheumatology Helpline is underway to improve the response times and assessment process to ensure that the right pathway is identified for individuals first time.
• We are improving our communications by updating our patient leaflets and the information available on The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (RJAH) website.