Rheumatology team wins award for innovative clinic

The rheumatology service at Guy’s and St Thomas’ has won a national award for its clinic helping patients with fibromyalgia, a long-term condition that causes widespread pain.

The British Society of Rheumatology (BSR) praised the Trust’s rheumatology team for taking a multi-disciplinary approach to the diagnosis and treatment of patients with fibromyalgia. The service was declared a winner of the Emerging Best Practice category of the BSR’s 2016 Best Practice Awards in Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Health.

The one-stop, multi-disciplinary clinic for patients with fibromyalgia was established in 2012 and now sees around 400 patients per year. It is the only dedicated fibromyalgia clinic of its kind in the UK.

Clinic patients have individual appointments with consultant rheumatologists, physiotherapists, and clinical psychologists who are all fibromyalgia specialists and provide each patient with a greater understanding of their condition and recommendations for treatment. 

Dr Toby Garrood, clinical lead for rheumatology, says: “This is a fantastic achievement for the team. The award recognises that what we do here for our patients with fibromyalgia is unique and that this initiative could be replicated elsewhere in the NHS.

“I’m immensely grateful to everyone at the Trust who has contributed to the development of the clinic and to all my rheumatology colleagues for their ongoing commitment to providing top quality care for our patients.”

Find out more about Guy’s and St Thomas’ rheumatology services