Dr Gulam Patel

Dr Gulam Patel trained at Cambridge University & Middlesex/UCH HospitalsMedical School from 1981-87. Following General Medical training he underwent 6 years of Rheumatology specialisation. He has been in NHS and private sector practice as a Consultant since 2001. He has over thirty-five years of experience as a Doctor, twenty-five of which have been as a Consultant at Ashford & St Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (ASPH) and in the private sector. He was elected as a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in 2007. He lives in London with his wife, a clinical research scientist, and two teenage sons. His hobbies include all types of sports and he also has an interest in the roots of languages.

He has a passion for education and developed a very popular Lecture Series on "Clinical Reasoning in Patient Care" which resulted in excellent feedback and was recognised by the award of the prestigious Teaching Excellence Award from Imperial College in 2011. Later he was awarded Imperial College Principal Clinical Teacher status in 2020 in recognition of his continuing efforts to raise the bar on teaching and assessment of medical students.  Subsequently he has been appointed as an Honorary Senior Lecturer at Imperial College.  

He holds the position of Clinical Lead for Undergraduate Medicine at ASPH, which combines the roles of Director of Clinical Studies at Imperial College with Undergraduate Sub-Dean at St George's, University of London, where he is also an Honorary Senior Lecturer in the Institute of Medical and Biomedical Education. In addition he is an Honorary Senior Lecturer in the School of Biological Sciences at Royal Holloway, University of London where he is a lecturer and an examiner. 

Dr Patel is a very popular teacher of GPs at ASPH and features regularly on their Primary Care teaching schedule. He is also a recognised Educational Supervisor for postgraduate doctors in training. Throughout his career he has maintained an interest in healthcare quality improvement through audit, research and education (his most recent research publication in 2020 was "Paraneoplastic dermatomyositis associated with metastatic leiomyosarcoma of unknown primary" - Clin Sarcoma Res (2020) 10:15

He was previously appointed in an NHS senior management role as Divisional Director at ASPH, initially in Ambulatory Care before expanding into Specialist Surgery & Specialist Medicine and Endoscopy Services. He was later appointed as Divisional Director of Medicine & A/E Services with a responsibility for high profile national targets such as the 95% A&E target which he delivered successfully with a personal drive on projects such as Ambulatory Care Pathways. These roles gave him direct experience of and a deeper insight into the challenges of the wider healthcare system at local, regional and national levels. He thoroughly enjoyed this period where he had to address financial challenges whilst simultaneously delivering healthcare quality and safety. This gave him a unique opportunity to engage with strategy at the highest levels of the Trust and develop as a leader and as a manager in order to achieve the best possible experience and outcome for patients.

He is currently the Clinical Lead for Rheumatology services at ASPH where he has

been instrumental in setting up the Early Arthritis Clinic. He combines his clinical work with involvement in clinical trials, both as a Co-Investigator and as a Principal Investigator. His clinical contribution to high quality healthcare has been recognised by the award of three Clinical Excellence Awards.

Dr Patel specialises in General Rheumatology and his clinical practice remains the most gratifying core of his working life. He uses a well-established system of diagnostic problem based clinical management and his breadth of experience allows him to enjoy an interest in a wide range of conditions: osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, inflammatory joint disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis & psoriatic arthritis, joint & soft tissue injection therapy, fibromyalgia, hypermobility, tendonitis, crystal arthritis including gout & pseudogout, neck & back pain, ankylosing spondylitis, connective tissue disorders such as systemic lupus, scleroderma, myositis & Sjogrens syndrome and sports injuries. With his many years of involvement in General Medicine he relishes an interest in diagnostic conundrums, especially those which overlap between Rheumatology & General Medicine such as fatigue, arthralgia, myalgia and pain conditions. His depth of knowledge enables him to practice a holistic approach with

an emphasis on history and examination, combined with the most appropriate

tests, to reach a diagnosis and a management plan. As a traditional physician with a modern approach he combines courtesy and compassion for the concerns and needs of the patient, with an evidence based approach to treatment. He ensures that they are well informed and that they have the opportunity to be fully involved in a bespoke care plan, tailored and personalised for the individual. He works closely with colleagues in related disciplines such as orthopaedics, neurology, neurosurgery, endocrinology and dermatology.

The secretarial service is prompt and highly responsive with the opportunity for contact via telephone, fax, text message and email. They always strive to make appointments available, at short notice if required, at a time that suits the patient at one of the private practice clinics which have access to the latest technology for timely investigations.