For patients

Rheumatology Outpatient Department

Your appointment

The allocated appointment length is between 20 and 40 minutes; please allow the whole morning or afternoon in case you need tests.

Please bring:

• a list of your current medications
• details of any allergies
• specific questions that you would like to ask.

At your appointment you will see a Rheumatology specialist - this may be a Consultant or Registrar. You may see more than one doctor, and there may be medical students present, if you do not object.

When you arrive we will take your height, weight and blood pressure (BP).

Please be prepared to give us a urine sample, and for the doctor to examine you - wear clothes you feel comfortable in.

Unfortunately, we are not always able to see you at your exact appointment time - please bear with us.

We will ask you about your:

• current symptoms
• past medical problems
• family medical problems
• current medications
• smoking, alcohol and lifestyle habits.

You may need:

• an injection into a joint or muscle
• blood tests
• an X-ray or other scan (the same day or later).

After your appointment

We do not routinely report normal results from blood tests and routine X-rays, but we will contact you about any investigations that need further action.

Following your initial assessment by the Rheumatology service you may not need any further assessments in our department.

If you do need a follow-up appointment, we will book one for you. We do our best to book follow-up appointments within the timeframe stated in your clinic letter, but we cannot always guarantee this.

Your appointment will be in one of the following formats, which we will confirm in your clinic letter.

Your appointment may not be at the exact time given, so please allow a 30 minute window either side of the appointment time.

Follow-up appointment formats

Telephone

We will call you by telephone as close to your appointment time as possible. The call will come from an unrecognised number or a generic OUH telephone number - please do answer if you are expecting a telephone call from us.

Video

We will email you a link to book a video appointment via Attend Anywhere. You log on to the system and wait in a virtual waiting room until the clinician starts the consultation with you.

If it is not possible to conduct the video consultation for technical reasons we will contact you by telephone instead.

Electronic form

We will email or text you a link to a Microsoft Form. Please have your medical record number available when you complete the form, which provides space to include any problems you are experiencing, followed by a series of questions about your condition.

Please allow around 20 to 25 minutes to complete the form on your smartphone, tablet or PC.

Once you submit the form, we will review your information within a few days and send you and your GP a clinic letter summarising your current condition, and details of any further appointment needed.

Face to face

We will assess you in person in one of our Oxfordshire clinics. We aim to see you in a clinic most suited to your condition, and close to where you live if this is possible.

Queries

Clinical queries

If you are having problems or have clinical queries, please email us.

Email: rheumatology@ouh.nhs.uk

Include your full name, either your MRN or NHS number and date of birth in the email, or we will be unable to respond.

If you do not have access to email, please call us.

Tel: 01865 737871

Advice

For clinical queries regarding:

• flare-up not improving after seven days - please see self-help measures
• medication queries or side-effects you may be experiencing
• concerns relating to your condition that cannot wait for your next appointment.

Email: rheumatologyadviceline@ouh.nhs.uk

Appointment / administrative queries

Email: rheumatology@ouh.nhs.uk