It is very specific for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) but it can also occasionally be an indicator for other autoimmune connective tissue disorders, like Lupus. Having a negative Rheumatoid Factor does not mean you don't have RA - there are many people with RA that are negative for this but also many people who are Rheumatoid Factor positive that don't have RA.
You don't say what other symptoms you are having but RA can also present with fatigue, fever and generally feeling unwell. Anti- CCP can be present in the blood before significant symptoms show in the body. With RA, it is common for joint pains, stiffness and swelling to move around the body to different sites - hands, feet, shoulders and elbows are commonly affected.
Your referral to rheumatology will hopefully be treated as urgent, as if you do have RA, the sooner you can get treatment, the better the outcome. The rheumatologist will probably want to do further investigations, like x-rays or ultrasound, possibly further blood tests to make the diagnosis.
You may well be perimenopausal as well of course. Do you have any family history of autoimmune, inflammatory joint conditions?
