By Dr Irwin Lim, Rheumatologist
Serious diseases need a serious solution.
Australia is a rich country by world standards with a very good health system. It would surprise experts in the field to find that the largest city in the land, Sydney, was without a specialised centre tending to the needs of patients with spondyloarthritis.
BJC Health established the Sydney Spondyloarthritis Centre at the start of this year.
While Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) is the headline disease, the clinic's activities encompass all spondyloarthritis (SpA) including:
- Axial SpA
- Psoriatic Arthritis
- Reactive Arthritis
- IBD-related arthritis
Why did we bother?
- There is a need to increase awareness of AS, SpA & related disease given that the diagnosis & management is on the whole, poor
- Highly effective therapy now exists, requiring rheumatologists to step to the forefront
- There is an emerging focus on earlier diagnosis and treatment, and an aim for this to happen before irreversible damage appears on X-rays
- There is an opportunity for BJC Health to be involved at the forefront of changing disease management paradigms
- There was an absence of such a service in Sydney, a void that BJC Health could and should fill given our position as a unique, integrated rheumatology service
- We have the expertise of interested, compassionate rheumatologists
- We have physiotherapists with specialised knowledge & experience in SpA
This stuff is not rocket science. It takes time and energy, expertise we already have, and a genuine interest to provide a world class service.
The Sydney Spondyloarthritis Centre makes a difference.
Please do contact us if you need more information to help you or someone you know.
