Dr Denise De Lord

Dr De Lord qualified from University College Hospital, London in 1990. General medical postgraduate training & award of the Membership of the Royal College of Physicians was achieved in London in 1993. She commenced postgraduate Rheumatology training at King's College Hospital in 1994. She was awarded an Arthritis Rheumatism Council Fellowship in 1996 for a 3 year programme of research with Professor Costantino Pitzalis & Professor Gabriel Panayi, at Guy's hospital London, investigating the role of adhesion molecules and selective lymphocyte homing between the gut and the joint in inflammatory arthritis. She presented this work at the BSR conference, winning an award for best oral research presentation for ARC-funded work in 1997. Following her research fellowship, she completed her postgraduate training in Rheumatology and General Internal Medicine in South London and Kent (London deanery). She has been a consultant at East Kent Hospitals University & Foundation Trust since 2002 and was Lead Clinician for the Department of Rheumatology from 2009 – 2019. She continues as lead for specialised Rheumatology, having developed an East Kent lupus & vasculitis service, ensuring that patients can be seen locally and treated urgently. Achievements • The award of specialised accreditation for the department of Rheumatology, EKHUFT for tertiary level care of patients with lupus and vasculitis • Delivery of a tertiary service for refractory and resistant Giant cell arteritis • Co-ordination of the trust-wide development of an early arthritis service and the use of musculoskeletal ultrasound for the early detection of active inflammation in arthritis. Dr De Lord is qualified to perform diagnostic ultrasonography of the hands, wrists and feet for the detection of inflammatory arthritis ( CASE accredited). She is currently involved in MSK ultrasound training and accreditation for Specialist Registrars and allied healthcare professionals. She is a course leader for the Focussed CASE-accredited MSK ultrasound course for hands, and feet for inflammatory arthritis and honorary lecturer at Canterbury Christchurch University. Her NHS Practice is based at the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital, Margate (QEQMH). She also practices at the Buckland Hospital, Dover. Although she has extensive experience in general rheumatology, her areas of special interest are lupus & vasculitis, and early inflammatory arthritis. Her private practice is based at the BMI Chaucer, Canterbury and the Spencer Private Hospitals, Margate. Selected Publications • Wahid S, Blades MC, De Lord D, Brown I, Blake G, Yanni G, Haskard DO, Panayi GS, Pitzalis C. Tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) enhances lymphocyte migration into rheumatoid synovial tissue transplanted into severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice. Clin Exp Immunol. 2000 Oct;122(1):133-42. • Howie D, Spencer J, DeLord D, Pitzalis C, Wathen NC, Dogan A, Akbar A, MacDonald TT. Extrathymic T cell differentiation in the human intestine early in life. J Immunol. 1998 Dec 1;161(11):5862-72. • De Lord DA, Thomas AM, Salisbury J, Pitt PI. A case of chronic Escherichia coli osteomyelitis of the clavicle. Br J Rheumatol. 1996 Feb;35(2):192-4. • De Lord, Dr DA. NHS Alliance 2011 EARLY ARTHRITIS: Joint Working? Diseases, Medical Tests and Treatments • Capillaroscopy • Diagnostic Musculoskeletal Ultrasound • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus • SLE • Giant Cell Arteritis • GCA • Inflammatory Arthropapthies • PMR • Polymyalgia Rheumatica

"Evidence-based care tailored to each patient — taking the time to explain options and shared decisions."

1. 2010–2016
   MD · Medicine and Surgery

   Universidad de Sevilla (GB)

2. 2016–2020
   Residency · Rheumatology

   Universidad de Navarra (GB)

1. 2020-09–2021-08
   Junior consultant

   Universidad de Sevilla Teaching Hospital — Rheumatology

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h-index: 6 · i10: 12

Selected publications

1. Long-term follow-up of Rheumatology across GB

   Dr Denise De Lord, et al. · European Journal of Medicine, 2026

   DOI: 10.1663/euroclin.2026.0 · cited by 190

2. Validation of clinical scoring in Rheumatology

   Dr Denise De Lord, et al. · European Journal of Medicine, 2025

   DOI: 10.2546/euroclin.2025.1 · cited by 52

• Patient education Patient guide to Rheumatology 2026-03-13 · 8 min read
• Awareness When should you see a rheumatology? 2026-01-02 · 6 min read