Rheumatology advice

New / existing patients

Submit your enquiry to the Advice and Guidance service on ERS:

General-Rheumatology-Nuffield Orth-OUH-AnG-RTH03

Please submit your query for the following.

  • Flare management for persistent symptoms
  • Medication
  • Vaccination
  • Blood monitoring
  • General

Urgent queries

For suspected:

  • Vasculitis
  • Giant Cell Arteritis
  • Connective Tissue Disease

contact the on-call team via Switchboard: 0300 304 7777

Inflammatory arthritis

  • Flare management - see treatment algorithm
  • Persistent symptoms despite standard flare management - contact advice line

General queries

  • Medication
  • Blood monitoring
  • Vaccination

Submit your enquiry to the Advice and Guidance service on ERS:

General-Rheumatology-Nuffield Orth-OUH-AnG-RTH03

Urgent queries

Contact the on-call team via Switchboard: 0300 304 7777

  • GCA - new referrals / flares
  • Urgent new referrals
  • Complex patients especially CTD / Vasculitis

Flare management (GPs)

Inflammatory arthritis flare management

Is this a flare? Consider:

  • symptoms / signs convincing for inflammatory arthritis
  • co-morbidities e.g. fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, mechanical pain
  • alternative diagnoses e.g. infection.

Suspected flare

Advise rest, application of ice / heat, increase analgesia +/- NSAIDs

No improvement after seven days consider:

  • Intramuscular steroid
  • Contacting the advice line