Our Services
Rheumatology Services
• Rheumatology Services >>
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Sandwell General Hospital Staff
Consultants: Dr K Grindulis & Dr F Khattak
Nursing Staff: Erica Gould & Enid Daley
Chiropody: Adam Rudduck
Physiotherapy: Kathryn Dunn
Occupational Therapy: Penny Staples
Ward Manager: Nicola Webb (Newton 4)
Manager: Melanie Wilson
Sandwell General Hospital
Wards & Departments
Inpatients are nursed on Ward Newton 4 whenever possible. This ward also has a Day Treatment Unit where established patients may be reviewed as and when required.
For details of the various rheumatology clinics, please refer to 'related documents'
Service Details
- Outpatient clinics at Sandwell, Rowley Regis, Victoria Health Centre and Neptune Park. Consultant with nursing input at each clinic.
- Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy and Chiropody available at the above centres.
HELPLINE Tel. No. 0121 607 3148 (answerphone)
General Adult Rheumatology Clinics
Monday morning: Dr Khattak, at Sandwell Hospital and Dr Grindulis at Rowley Regis.
Tuesday morning: Dr Khattak's outreach clinic at Victoria Health Centre.
Tuesday afternoon: Dr Grindulis, at Sandwell Hospital.
Wednesday morning: Dr Grindulis, at Sandwell Hospital.
Thursday morning: Dr Grindulis, at Sandwell Hospital except the first Thursday of the month.
Thursday afternoon: Dr Khattak, at Sandwell Hospital except the first Thursday of the month.
Friday afternoon: Dr Khattak, alternating each week between Sandwell Hospital and Neptune Health Park.
Children's Rheumatology Clinic
A Paediatric Rheumatology clinic is held on the first Thursday of alternate months. This clinic is jointly run by Dr Karl Grindulis, Dr Helen Grindulis, Consultant Paediatrician at Sandwell, and either Professor Southwood, Dr Clive Ryder, or Dr Janet McDonagh from Birmingham Children's Hospital. The clinic is held in the Children's Out-Patient Department, Lyndon Ground, Sandwell Hospital.
Referrals should be headed 'Paediatric Rheumatology Referral' and forwarded to Dr Helen Grindulis. Please include photocopies of relevant investigation results.
Connective Tissue Clinic
Run by Dr Khattak on the first Thursday afternoon of the month.
Foot Clinic
Three clinics per week run by Adam Rudduck, Chiropodist, in parallel with the consultant out-patient clinics. Clinics are held on Monday morning at Rowley Regis Hospital, Tuesday morning at Victoria Health Centre, and Thursday afternoon at Sandwell Hospital.
Referral can be made by any hospital staff or GPs, providing the patient is already under the care of either Dr K Grindulis or Dr Khattak. Patients may also self refer. Please use the combined PCS referral form. All referrals to have a minimum data set of name, address, date of birth, GP, telephone number. Other information to be included is medication/medical history, a brief description of the problem and choice of treatment location.
Patients with any of the following diagnoses will be accepted for assessment: Rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, gout, pseudogout, juvenile chronic arthritis, Feltys syndrome, Reiters syndrome, Pagets disease, vasculitis.
Waiting time is approximately 2 to 4 weeks.
Hand Clinic
Both Dr Khattak and Dr Grindulis run a combined hand clinic with Mr Michael Porter, Plastic Surgeon, on the first Thursday morning of each month. Patients normally referred from other rheumatology or hand clinics.
Injection Clinic
Held on Monday afternoons on the Surgical Day Unit at Sandwell Hospital, alternating each week between Dr Grindulis and Dr Khattak.
Nurse-Led Rheumatology Clinic
Erica Gould, Rheumatology Nurse Practitioner, holds a clinic on Wednesday and Thursday mornings in the Out-Patient Department at Sandwell Hospital. These clinics are for general review, patient education, advice, and drug monitoring. A further clinic is planned for Monday mornings.
Referral can be made by any hospital staff or GPs, providing the patient is already under the care of either Dr K Grindulis or Dr Khattak. Patients may also self refer.
Day Treatment Unit
In addition to the clinics listed above, patients may be seen in the Rheumatology Day Treatment Unit, Ward Newton 4, as required on any day of the week. Please contact the Rheumatology Consultant's Secretaries.
Osteoporosis Clinic
Morning clinic held by Dr K Grindulis on the 3rd Thursday of each month at Sandwell. Open to GP and secondary care referrals.
City Hospital
City Hospital Staff
Dr Deva Situnayake
Dr David Carruthers
Dr Rao Elamenchi
Professor Chris Buckley
Dr Caroline Gordon
Dr Karim Raz
Department fax no : 0121 507 5451
Outpatients Reception: 0121 507 6122
The Rheumatology Department operates on the 2nd floor of the Maternity Block at City Hospital. Clinics run between 9 am and 5 pm on most days of the week.
• City Hospital New patient clinics >>
Clinic |
Consultant |
General rheumatology clinic |
All consultants |
Inflammatory arthritis |
All consultants (on rota) |
Rapid access early inflammatory arthritis clinic |
Dr Karim Raza |
Injection clinic |
All consultants (on rota) |
Vasculitis clinic |
Dr David Carruthers |
Lupus clinic |
Dr Caroline Gordon |
Connective tissue disease clinic |
Dr Deva Situnayake |
All new patient referrals will be triaged to the appropriate clinic based on the information supplied. Referrals for patients with appointments booked in Choose and Book will also be reviewed and if necessary their appointment will be switched to a more appropriate clinic.
Other Services:
- Weekly injection clinic for patients/GP’s to phone the department if the patient has been previously seen in the department.
- Adolescent clinic – Dr Carruthers for transfer of adolescent patients from The Childrens Hospital to an adult rheumatology service
- Combined monthly orthopaedic service for upper and lower limb joint surgery – Dr Carruthers with either Mr Vishwanath or Mr Deshmukh
- Follow up clinics for general rheumatological, inflammatory arthritis, vasculitis and connective tissue problems
- Nurse specialist patient education and disease and drug monitoring clinics for SLE, vasculitis and all types of inflammatory arthritis.
- Monitoring clinic - clinics for patients to attend for regular blood tests
Overview of Service:
The rheumatology service provides an integrated service for patients with all forms of musculoskeletal disease. The outpatient clinic is in close proximity to the day case facility and rheumatology ward for easy access and effective multi disciplinary team working.
We see a broad spectrum of general musculoskeletal problems but provide enhanced sub-speciality service which link in closely with the Academic Unit of Rheumatology at the University of Birmingham. The main focus of this research work is patients with early inflammatory arthritis, lupus and vasculitis. Early referral for appropriate management of this group of patients is actively encouraged from primary care.
Consultant Biography:
- Dr Deva Situnayake MBBS, FRCP – Qualified in 1979 and was appointed as Consultant Rheumatologist in 1990. Special interests include inflammatory joint disease, connective tissue diseases, particularly SLE and treatment of inflammatory eye disease. Also covers an additional role as Associate Medical Director.
- Dr David Carruthers MBBS, FRCP, PhD – Qualified in 1987 and was appointed as Consultant Rheumatologist in 2000. Specialist interests include the management of vasculitis, rheumatological problems in adolescents and inflammatory arthritis.
- Dr Caroline Gordon MA, MD, FRCP – Qualified in 1981 and was appointed as Senior Lecturer and Consultant in 1996. Specialist interests include the management of systemic lupus erythematosus, and pregnancy and rheumatic diseases.
- Professor Chris Buckley MBBS, DPhil, MRCP – Qualified in 1990 and was appointed as ARC Professor and Honorary Consultant in Rheumatology in 2002. Specialist interests include mechanisms involved in the persistence of inflammation; early inflammatory arthritis.
- Dr Karim Raza BMBCH, MRCP, PhD– Qualified in 1993 and was appointed as Senior Clinical Lecturer and Honorary Consultant in 2004. Special interests include the assessment and management of early inflammatory arthritis.
- Dr Rao Elamenchi MBBS, MRCP– Qualified in 1991 and was appointed as Consultant Rheumatologist 2006. Special interests include the management of sero-negative spondylo-arthropathies.
Please click the following link for all waiting times: http://www.nhs.uk/england/authoritiestrusts/acute/waitingtimes.aspx?id=RXK