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Young Adult Rheumatology Service

Checked: 23-04-2022 by Vicky Ryan Next Review: 23-04-2024

Overview

This page is about referring young adults to rheumatology in BNSSG.

Who to refer

People between the ages of 16 and 24 with suspected new inflammatory joint disease, or connective tissue disease (lupus, scleroderma, dermatomyositis, etc).

Red Flags

If you suspect a malignancy, please do not refer to rheumatology but to the relevant speciality via 2WW.

If the young person is very unwell, consider contacting the relevant rheumatology department urgently by email or telephone to discuss admission under medicine, or treatment whilst they are waiting to be seen.

Before referral

Please do the usual blood tests you would do before an adult referral. FBC, kidney and liver function, CRP.

Rheumatoid factor and anti-CCP antibodies if inflammatory arthritis is suspected and xrays of hands and feet or other areas.

ANA only if a connective tissue disease is suspected (such as lupus, scleroderma).

Refer

UHB and Weston

Young people between the ages of 16 and 24 who need referral to Rheumatology should be referred to the usual adult service on eRS. There is not a separate Young Adult clinic for new referrals aged 16 and older.

Further information about this service can be found at Bristol Royal Infirmary - What We Do | University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust (uhbristol.nhs.uk) and University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, the major teaching trust in South-West England (uhbristol.nhs.uk)

North Bristol

At North Bristol there is a monthly Young Adult clinic for people aged 16 to 24 years. Referrals may be made on eRS to the RAS (rapid access service) for this clinic. Young people with suspected inflammatory arthritis are seen in the YA clinic. Sometimes the young person will be seen first in a general rheumatology clinic and transferred to the Young Adult clinic after the first appointment.

If someone has suspected connective tissue disease (such as lupus or scleroderma), they are usually seen in the adult connective tissue disease and vasculitis clinic at Southmead.

After the age of 24, or earlier, the young person transfers to a general adult rheumatology clinic, either at North Bristol Trust or elsewhere.

Rheumatology Transition and Young Adult | North Bristol NHS Trust (nbt.nhs.uk)

Rheumatology Advice & Guidance is also available at both Trusts

Efforts are made to ensure the accuracy and agreement of these guidelines, including any content uploaded, referred to or linked to from the system. However, BNSSG ICB cannot guarantee this. This guidance does not override the individual responsibility of healthcare professionals to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of the individual patient, in consultation with the patient and/or guardian or carer, in accordance with the mental capacity act, and informed by the summary of product characteristics of any drugs they are considering. Practitioners are required to perform their duties in accordance with the law and their regulators and nothing in this guidance should be interpreted in a way that would be inconsistent with compliance with those duties.

Information provided through Remedy is continually updated so please be aware any printed copies may quickly become out of date.