Diagnosed with RA and looking for help with referral please

MarkFKP

After visiting my GP with symptoms of pain in a variety of joints, some really very painful he referred me to a Rheumatologist (I was lucky enough to have private health insurance through work so was able to get to see her very quickly). Xrays and blood tests confirmed a diagnosis of RA and my antibody count was apparently very high indicating an aggressive phase of the condition. Unfortunately my cover does not extend to treatment of chronic conditions and so she has written to my GP asking him to make an urgent referral to an NHS Rheumatology service. She told that once i was referred and started on treatment it could be up to 12 weeks before I might see any improvement in symptoms, which seems a very long way off. I'm in quite a lot of pain at the moment and finding some simple things incedibly difficult to do (squeezing toothpaste, opening a bottle of milk, getting medication out of the packet). I have been Meloxicam to help reduce inflammation but have not noticed any difference in symptoms. I'm looking for help with 3 questions please:

1. What is the NHS definition of the word "Urgent"? (My wife has been on the waiting list to see a rheumatologist for nearly a year now. Are there official guidlines or targets that they are held to account for?

2. When my GP makes the referral I understand i will be given a choice. One of the receptionists in my GP practice has warned me not to go the local hospital as they are pretty hopeless (she is a patient there). Is there any official league table of service provision by hospital or health area that could help me make up my mind? I'm in the Romford area east of London and keen to hear any stories good or bad of experiences in that area or London generally.

3. My experience so far of NSAID medication (Ibuprofen, Naproxen, Meloxicam) has not been great with no discernible impact on symptoms, are there any other options that people have found useful in managing the pain.

Thanks in advance for any help

PeterJ

Hello @MarkFKP and welcome to the community. We are a friendly and supportive group and I hope that that will be your experience as well.

I understand that you have rheumatoid arthritis and are awaiting an NHS referral. I am sure that there are government guidelines though suspect Covid has had an impact, but your GP should know what they are. As regards info on pain management our website has a lot of useful information and I would recommend having a look around it. To help I've put a couple of links in below

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/rheumatoid-arthritis/

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/managing-symptoms/managing-your-pain/

Also regarding the NHS y might find the following of interest as well

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/hospitals/guide-to-nhs-waiting-times-in-england/

Please do keep posting and let us know how you are getting on and I am sure others will connect with you to share their support and experiences as well.

With very best wishes

Peter (moderator)

stickywicket

Sorry about the diagnosis and the very brief reply. (I'm in a rush as I usually seem to be these days.)

1. 'Urgent'? How long is a piece of string? It's a moveable feast depending on how many consultants, nurses, radiologists etc are available. As you'll have heard, the NHS is in need of life support.
2. Teaching hospitals are usually the best as they attract the more qualified docs and more complicated cases. Therefore they usually have longer waiting lists.
3. NSAIDS are not much use for RA. Gentle range of movement exercises and distraction are useful. I think all DMARDS such as methotrexate can take up to three months to work properly though some get lucky. There's no way of speeding them up.
4. You GP might be able to speed up your referral. Worth an ask.