A Bath RUH Consultant Rheumatologist and a team of arthritis specialists are to receive two Patients’ Choice Awards in recognition of their work to help patients cope with their condition.

Voted by patients, the National Ankylosing Spondylitis Society (NASS) awards recognise health care professionals who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to help people with the condition.

Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS), is a form of inflammatory arthritis which mainly affects the spine.

Lead Consultant, Dr Raj Sengupta, and the specialist AS team are based at the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases (RNHRD), locally known as ’The Min’. The hospital provides a specialist service for patients with AS, a painful, progressive, long-term condition which can have a major impact on the lives of those who have it and those around them.

Dr Raj Sengupta was voted to receive the ‘Best care provided by a rheumatologist’ award, as patients felt that not only was he an expert in AS, but also took the time to listen and understand their concerns, going the extra mile to help. Dr Raj Sengupta said: “I’m delighted to have been selected for the award and it is a fantastic accolade for the AS team here who work extremely hard to deliver a high quality service.”

The RNHRD Specialist AS Team will receive the award ‘Excellence in AS Care’. They were nominated by patients for both the care they provide in clinics and for their work on the excellent and unique AS Rehabilitation Course.

Patient comments included: “An exceptional team with excellent knowledge about my disease. The whole team care and the AS course gave me what I needed to cope with the road ahead.”

Debbie Cook, NASS Chief Executive said: “People with AS from all over the country have told me how wonderful the AS Course at the RNHRD, Bath is and how much the team there have helped them cope with their condition. This was echoed in the Patients’ Choice Awards nominations. It is great to be able to formally recognise the wonderful work of Dr Sengupta and his team”.

The awards will be presented to Dr Sengupta and the Specialist AS Team at the NASS award ceremony on 2nd November at the Houses of Parliament.