Dr Vijay Hajela

Professional statement

Dr Vijay Hajela is an expert consultant rheumatologist with more than 20 years of experience. He is based across the southeast in London, Brighton, and Hayward's Heath. Dr Hajela specialises in musculoskeletal pain, arthritis, fibromyalgia, gout, polymyalgia and SLE (lupus).

Dr Hajela qualified in 1990 from medical school at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. Following this, he worked in hospitals across the United Kingdom and spent some time working in Auckland, New Zealand. He most recently worked as a consultant rheumatologist at University Hospitals Sussex before leaving to work in the private sector.

He has held various positions such as clinical lead for rheumatology in two hospitals, chair of a primary care musculoskeletal panel and director of medical education. In addition to his work as a consultant, he has been an examiner for the Royal College of Physicians since 2005.

In 2007, he was named the National Association of Clinical Tutors Travelling Fellow and was able to travel to North Carolina, working closely with senior medical staff at several US teaching hospitals. Furthermore, Dr Hajela spent three years as a regional chair of the British Society for Rheumatology from 2014 to 2017. He continues to teach at both an undergraduate and postgraduate level.