How are we doing in reviewing those new patients who need to be seen as early as possible? An audit of 264 consecutive new patients seen over 6 months in a university hospital in Ireland.

We read with interest the article entitled “Triage of referrals to an outpatient rheumatology clinic: analysis of referral information and triage”1, and agree that there are continuing difficulties to ensure effective stratification of rheumatology referrals. We would like to share our own experience in dealing with this uphill task. In our 4 weekly clinics, new patient slots are kept reserved for new patients who potentially have early inflammatory joint disease (IJD). To allocate early appointments for such new patients, the 2 consultants here use a triage system in an … Address reprint requests to Dr. Haroon. E-mail: mharoon301{at}hotmail.com