Meet the Rheumatology team

We have eight consultant rheumatologists working across the Trust providing specialist clinics and services to patients at Worcestershire Royal, the Alexandra Hospital and Kidderminster Hospital and Treatment Centre.

Consultants

Dr Musaab Elmamoun – Consultant Rheumatologist

I am a Consultant Rheumatologist at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust with a specialist expertise in osteoporosis, inflammatory arthritis, connective tissue diseases, and psoriatic arthritis. I completed my Rheumatology Specialist Training through the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland and subsequently undertook a prestigious clinical fellowship at the University of Toronto, awarded by the distinguished Krembil Foundation, with subspecialty focus on systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and psoriatic arthritis.

I lead the osteoporosis service and have extensive experience in service development, clinical pathway redesign, and delivery of high-quality outpatient care. I am well published, with numerous peer-reviewed publications including two book chapters in psoriatic arthritis, and have presented my work at multiple international conferences across Europe, America, and Canada. I am actively involved in teaching, training, audit, and quality improvement within rheumatology services.

Dr Caroline Cardy  – Consultant Rheumatologist and Rheumatology Clinical Lead

I qualified from the University of Oxford Medical School in 2002 and moved to the West Midlands for my rheumatology specialist training in 2006.  I have been a substantive consultant rheumatologist at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust since 2013. I have a PhD in Marfan syndrome. My specialist interests are early inflammatory arthritis and disorders of connective tissue. I am currently the clinical lead for the rheumatology service.

Dr Bernard Dyke – Consultant Rheumatologist

I graduated from the University of Southampton in 2011.  I moved to the West Midlands in 2013 in order to undertake specialist training in rheumatology, and was appointed as a consultant rheumatologist at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust in 2022.  My specialist interest is in early inflammatory arthritis, and I am pursuing training in musculoskeletal ultrasound.  I run a combined clinic at Worcestershire Royal Hospital with colleagues from the renal department.

Dr Ashok Rai – Consultant Rheumatologist

I graduated from Birmingham Medical School in 1985 and subsequently specialised in rheumatology. I was a senior registrar at the Walsgrave Hospital, Coventry before being appointed as a consultant rheumatologist in Worcester in 1995.

Dr Helen Bateman – Consultant Rheumatologist

I qualified from Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine, London University in 1989 and then worked at Princess Mary’s R.A.F. Hospital Halton and Northampton General Hospital. After completing my GMC registration, I obtained further specialist training in USA in General Medicine and Allergy & Immunology at Rutgers University N.J. as well as Rheumatology Fellowship at Hospital for Special Surgery, Cornell University New York. 

I practiced predominantly at Veterans Hospitals in N.J. and Florida. I enjoyed teaching adult clinical Rheumatology to future doctors at the University of South Florida, before joining the Rheumatology team at Worcestershire Royal Hospital in 2023. My experience is mostly with inflammatory arthritis, including Rheumatoid and Psoriatic as well as Ankylosing Spondylitis, autoimmune and connective tissue diseases such as Lupus. I also treat Osteoporosis and all aspects of general Rheumatology.

Dr Gamal Safi – Locum Consultant Rheumatologist

I graduated with MBBS from University of Khartoum in Sudan in1996, completed both MRCP UK and MRCPI (Ireland) in 2010. I did my basic general medical specialist training and clinical rheumatology registrar training in Ireland. I obtained a postgraduate Diploma in Therapeutics (2012) from Cardiff University and MSc of Clinical Rheumatology (2016) from University of Manchester.  I joined Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust in 2018. I treat all aspects of rheumatology with a special interest in lupus, connective tissue diseases and vasculitis. 

Dr Alison Sabine – Consultant Rheumatologist

I qualified from University of Bristol in 1991 and my training in Rheumatology commenced in 1995.  I was a Consultant Rheumatologist in Birmingham before joining the team in Worcester in January 2023. I also work with a large GP Federation in Birmingham specialising in the management of fibromyalgia and bring this experience as well as my interest in Lifestyle Medicine and metabolic health and my health coaching expertise to my current role. I manage all aspects of general Rheumatology with previous areas of special interest being early inflammatory arthritis, systemic sclerosis and young adult rheumatology. 

Dr Ilfita Sahbudin – Honorary Consultant Rheumatologist

I obtained a Bachelor of Medicine from the University of Southampton in 2007 and commenced my Rheumatology Specialty Training in the West Midlands Deanery in 2011. Subsequently I completed an MSc in Musculoskeletal Ultrasound (Distinction) from University of Bournemouth (2014) which I completed alongside my speciality training.  I took up a Clinical Lecturer post in the Rheumatology Research Group at the University of Birmingham in 2017, obtained my PhD in 2020, Certificate Completion of Training (Rheumatology) in 2023, and PG Certificate in Medical Education in 2025. 

I am an Associate Clinical Professor in Rheumatology at the University of Birmingham, and my research focuses on building AI-powered imaging tools for patients with inflammatory arthritis. I am also an Honorary Consultant Rheumatologist at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust where I provide specialist early arthritis and ultrasound services.

Meet the team involved in your care

Clinical Nurse Specialists

Rheumatology Occupational Therapy team

We are occupational therapy clinical specialists in Rheumatology, and together we share the leadership of the rheumatology OT service across Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.

We are both passionate about supporting our patients and enabling them to achieve their occupational goals through the use of a wide range of treatments, and we have a strong focus on encouraging self-management for our patients.

We are actively involved in the education of others within the specialism and offer learning experiences for our rotational Occupational Therapists, OT students from Coventry University and the University of Worcester, and other members of the MDT. We are members of the Royal College of Occupational Therapy specialist interest group for Rheumatology, hold BSR membership, and also have links to other specialist groups in the areas of Chronic Pain and hand therapy. We utilise these links for networking purposes and education to keep abreast of developments within practice and to maintain our Continuing Professional Development. We are actively involved in service development, clinical audit and research, and currently involved in the WorkWell research trial led by Salford University, testing the effectiveness of work advice and vocational rehabilitation for people with arthritis

Rheumatology Physiotherapist team

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My Name is Alice Maiden. I am the Team Lead Physiotherapist for Rheumatology and Hydrotherapy.

I have worked for the Acute Trust since 2009 after qualifying as a Physiotherapist in 2006 From Manchester University. I joined the Rheumatology Physiotherapy team in 2013 based in Kidderminster and later in Worcester.

I am an accredited Aquatic Therapist with the ATACP and enjoy treating our patients in the Hydrotherapy pool at Worcestershire Royal Hospital. 

Rheumatology Pharmacist 

Diagnostic and Interventional Musculoskeletal Sonographer

Rheumatology Outpatients team