Rheumatology - Fairfield Hospital [Bury], Rochdale Infirmary

The Rheumatology Service is based at Rochdale Infirmary and Fairfield General Hospital. This service provides comprehensive and individual care for patients with inflammatory arthritis and their carers

The service enables people who are struggling with their arthritis to receive care from a multidisciplinary team including consultants, specialist nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and podiatrists. We recognise the importance of responding to the individual's needs, respecting their privacy, dignity, beliefs and values. Rheumatology practitioners aim to maintain or improve the quality of life for our patients and their carers. We work within the wider multi-disciplinary team, keeping the patient as the central focus of all care planning and delivery.

Our clinical expertise and practice is based on a core of professional knowledge and skills, supported by current research and founded on professional values. We endeavour to share our expertise through education to patients, carers and other health professionals. Inflammatory arthritis can be a persistent and troublesome condition. It can have a big impact on your life, affecting your day-to-day activities and also your family and friends. Often the drug treatments for arthritis require careful monitoring to be used safely and effectively.

The Rheumatology Service offers outpatient services at the Rochdale and Bury Hospital sites. In addition to this, patients have access to Specialist Programmed Investigation Unit (PIU) for daycase procedures and infusions. We can offer diagnosis and treatment, both short and long term to patients with inflammatory joint (e.g Rheumatoid Arthritis etc), Connective Tissue (e.g SLE, Vasculitis etc) systemic symptoms or complications and those with rheumatological symptoms arising from general medical conditions, or those with unexplained musculoskeletal pain or other rheumatological symptoms. We have a clear referral pathway and the team also provide GP’s with and Advice and Guidance function of NHS e-Referrals to support access to our service and care.

We focus on people with inflammatory arthritis giving rapid access to our specialist multidisciplinary team, delivering complex diagnostic tests and treatments as quickly and safely as possible at one centre and in the shortest possible time. This prevents patients having multiple visits. We can offer complex infusion treatments and techniques such as ultrasound, biologic infusions and joint injections.

Patient-Initiated Follow-up (PIFU)

Our Rheumatology service supports PIFU (patient-initiated follow-up), this is when a patient initiates an appointment when they need one, based on their symptoms and individual circumstances. This approach helps empower patients to manage their own condition and plays a key role in enabling shared decision making and supported self-management in line with the personalised care agenda. All patients that are put onto a PIFU pathway are given the Rheumatology advice line number to ensure they can get back in contact with the service at any time.

Please bring details of all current medication and medical history. Please be aware on your first visit the Doctor may want to examine your heart, lungs and abdomen and joints. If you are seeing a consultant outside of our Trust, for example Dermatology, it is helpful to bring any recent clinic letters with you.

Please report to relevant Outpatient Reception. We are working hard to improve our waiting times and it is important to cancel any appointments that you cannot attend. if you fail to attend appointments with the doctor you may be discharged.

We ask that you are prepared for your appointment and plan your journey ahead. Plan your journey with Transport for Greater Manchester's journey planning tools

Rochdale Infirmary Rochdale Infirmary :: Northern Care Alliance

Fairfield General Hospital Fairfield General Hospital :: Northern Care Alliance

Rochdale Infirmary

We only accept GP referrals via e-RS (Electronic Referral Service). Paper or email referrals are no longer accepted. Further information for GP’s around referral criteria is available via the e-RS description of service.

Unfortunately patients cannot self-refer. You will need to arrange a consultation with you GP to discuss your symptoms and initiate a referral if necessary.

GP’s can use the Advice and Guidance function on E-referrals to support the referral processes and we provide support to help GPs identify patients that need to see our team and can also offer advice and guidance regarding patients under our care.

Please note we do not accept referrals for people under the age of 16.