Dr Timothy Gillott is a Consultant Rheumatologist at HMT St Hugh’s Hospital in Grimsby. He has been a consultant since 2000 and is Clinical Lead for Rheumatology at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, treats the full range of arthritis and autoimmune joint conditions, and has a particular interest in osteoporosis.

Rheumatology is the non-surgical side of joint problems, and it exists partly because so many aching, swollen, stiff joints are not a mechanical problem at all. Inflammatory arthritis, polymyalgia, gout and autoimmune conditions all present as joint pain, and all are treated with medication rather than an operation. Getting the right diagnosis early matters more here than in almost any other speciality, because with inflammatory arthritis the damage done in the first months is the damage you keep.

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About Dr Gillott

Dr Gillott graduated from Sheffield Medical School in 1990. He trained in general medicine and rheumatology in the West Midlands, gaining his Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training in Rheumatology in 2000.

He has been a Consultant Rheumatologist with Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust since February 2000, and is Clinical Lead for Rheumatology at the trust. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians.

His special interest is osteoporosis and bone health, alongside the full range of rheumatological conditions: inflammatory arthritis, connective tissue and autoimmune disease, soft tissue problems and the assessment of unexplained joint pain.

He has received a National Hospital Doctor award, and in 2012 was given the NHS Patient’s Champion award by the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society, an award nominated by patients themselves.

He is active in medical education and departmental teaching, regularly presenting at grand rounds and journal club meetings, and has published in the rheumatology literature.

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Areas of expertise

Inflammatory arthritis

• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Psoriatic arthritis
• Ankylosing spondylitis and axial spondyloarthritis
• Reactive arthritis
• Undifferentiated inflammatory arthritis
• Early arthritis assessment

Osteoporosis and bone health

• Osteoporosis diagnosis and management
• Osteopenia
• Fracture risk assessment
• Bone density interpretation
• Treatment review and monitoring
• Bone health after fracture or steroid treatment

Crystal arthritis

• Gout
• Pseudogout
• Recurrent gout management and prevention

Connective tissue and autoimmune disease

• Lupus (SLE)
• Sjögren’s syndrome
• Systemic sclerosis and scleroderma
• Vasculitis
• Antiphospholipid syndrome
• Raynaud’s phenomenon

Polymyalgia and related conditions

• Polymyalgia rheumatica
• Giant cell arteritis (temporal arteritis)

Joint, muscle and soft tissue pain

• Osteoarthritis
• Fibromyalgia
• Chronic widespread pain
• Tendon and soft tissue rheumatism
• Back and neck pain of inflammatory origin
• Unexplained joint pain and swelling

Investigation and monitoring

• Assessment of abnormal rheumatology blood tests
• Positive rheumatoid factor or anti-CCP results
• Raised inflammatory markers
• Monitoring of disease-modifying medication
• Joint and soft tissue injections
• Musculoskeletal ultrasound