Dr Manivannan Prathapsingh is a Consultant Rheumatologist practising at Werndale Hospital, Carmarthen, and is also based at Prince Philip Hospital, Llanelli. Since

qualifying in 2000, he has done his postgraduate training in medicine in UK and developed extensive experience in diagnosing and treating a wide range of rheumatic and musculoskeletal conditions, helping patients manage pain, improve mobility and maintain their quality of life.

Dr Prathapsingh specialises in the assessment and treatment of inflammatory arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis, as well as giant cell arteritis, polymyalgia rheumatica, lupus, vasculitis, gout and fibromyalgia. He has a particular interest in the use of musculoskeletal ultrasound, which can support earlier diagnosis and guide treatment decisions.

Having completed his specialist rheumatology training and attained CCT within the Wales Deanery, including placements at the University Hospital of Wales and other leading centres across Wales, Dr Prathapsingh is committed to providing evidence-based, personalised care. He works closely with patients to understand their symptoms, discuss treatment options and develop management plans tailored to their individual needs.

Clinical interests

• Early arthritis diagnosis and management

• Giant cell arteritis (temporal arteritis)

• Musculoskeletal ultrasound assessment

• General rheumatology

• Rheumatoid arthritis

• Psoriatic arthritis

• Ankylosing spondylitis

• Polymyalgia rheumatica

• Connective tissue diseases (CTD)

• Lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus)

• Vasculitis
• Gout and calcium crystal diseases
• Fibromyalgia

• Joint and soft tissue injections

• Osteoarthritis

Approach to care

Dr Prathapsingh believes that successful treatment begins with listening to patients and understanding how their condition affects their daily life. He takes time to explain diagnoses and treatment options clearly, helping patients make informed decisions about their care. His approach combines clinical expertise with personalised treatment planning, ensuring that every patient receives care tailored to their symptoms, lifestyle and long-term health goals.

Dr Prathapsingh also got ‘Individual Rheumatology Champion certificate’ by NRAS (National Rheumatoid arthritis Society) in September 2022.

Professional experience

Dr Prathapsingh has worked as a Consultant Rheumatologist at Prince Philip Hospital, Wales, since 2018. He is Chair of the ‘All Wales Rheumatology Ultrasound Group’ (WRUG) and serves as the ‘National Subject Matter Expert’ for Inflammatory Arthritis in Wales, supporting the development of rheumatology pathways and services across the region. He also contributed to the implementation of the ‘All Wales Community Health Pathway’ for Inflammatory Arthritis and ‘the Hywel Dda Giant Cell Arteritis pathway’. He is recently appointed as Wales Rheumatology Specialist Advisory Group (SAG) secretary.

Dr Prathapsingh also has special interest in ‘Giant cell arteritis’ (GCA) (Temporal arteritis) and he helped to implement ‘Hywel Dda GCA secondary care pathway’. He is using GCA ultrasound in the diagnosis and treatment of Giant cell arteritis in Prince Philip Hospital currently. He recently developed a leading ‘Hywel Dda Fast track GCA pathway’ as per BSR (British society for Rheumatology) standards to provide excellent care for GCA patients in Prince Philip hospital & Glangwili General Hospital.

Alongside his clinical work, Dr Prathapsingh is an Honorary Clinical Teacher at Cardiff University, and he is involved in the teaching and supervision of medical students and doctors in training. He has presented many case studies and quality improvement projects (audits) nationally and internationally and has a recognised interest in advancing the use of ultrasound within rheumatology practice.

• Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, London
• Chair, All Wales Rheumatology Ultrasound Group (WRUG)
• National Subject Matter Expert (Wales) – Inflammatory Arthritis
• Member of the Wales Giant Cell Arteritis Working Group
• Honorary Clinical Teacher, Cardiff University

Presentations at National Conferences

• UKIVAS Vasculitis Conference - Oral presentation, Birmingham (2024) - Resistant Hypertension in a Patient with Takayasu Arteritis and Renal Artery Stenosis Successfully Managed by Tocilizumab and Renal Angioplasty 
• British Society for Rheumatology (BSR) Autumn Conference - Oral presentation, Brighton (2014) - Successful Rituximab Treatment for Intestinal Perforation in Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (GPA).
• British Society for Rheumatology (BSR) Annual Conference, Manchester (2015) - Poster presentation: Plasma Exchange in Behçet's Disease.
• Irish Society for Rheumatology (ISR) Annual Meeting, Belfast (2012) - Poster presentations:

1. Hypertrophic Pulmonary Osteoarthropathy Successfully Treated with Zoledronic Acid Infusion
2. Audit of Cardiovascular Risk in Patients with Psoriatic Arthritis

Publications

• EULAR Annual European Congress of Rheumatology, London (2026) - Abstract published in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases: Audit of Giant Cell Arteritis Pathways in West Wales Using Southend GCAPS and GCA Ultrasound Against BSR Standards.

• EULAR Annual European Congress of Rheumatology, London (2016) - Publication: Hughes-Stovin Syndrome: Successful Use of Infliximab in Life-Threatening Behçet's Disease with Pulmonary Involvement in Three Cases at a University Hospital.

Service Development and Clinical Leadership

Pathway Implementation

Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA) 

• Played a key role in implementing the Hywel Dda Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA) secondary care pathway, incorporating the Giant Cell Arteritis Probability Score (GCAPS) and vascular ultrasound in line with British Society for Rheumatology guidance.
• Contributed to the development and implementation of the All Wales GCA Pathway and helped establish one of Wales' leading fast-track GCA services. This work has supported earlier diagnosis and treatment of GCA and informed the first Welsh audit of a fast-track GCA pathway using Southend GCAPS and ultrasound against BSR standards.

Awards and Recognition

• NRAS Individual Rheumatology Champion Award (National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society, 2022).
• Patient Experience Certificate of Appreciation (2021) for making a positive difference to the experience of patients, carers and families.
• Patient Experience Certificate of Appreciation (2020) in recognition of an outstanding contribution to patient care and experience within outpatient services.
• First Prize, Case Poster Presentation, Irish Society for Rheumatology Annual Meeting (2012), including award of €200.