Gastroenterology
Four Consultants and one Associate Specialist provide a full Gastroenterology service with in-patient, day case and outpatient services. Procedures currently undertaken include:
- Open access gastroscopy
- Diagnostic and therapeutic gastroscopy
- Diagnostic and therapeutic flexible sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy
- A full diagnostic and therapeutic Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio Pancreatography (ERCP) service
- 2 Gastroenterology Nurse Specialists who provides clinical support for Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Nutritional services and Liver services within the team
- Gastroenterology Assistant who provides support for outpatient and endoscopy sessions conditions.
Changes to the IBD telephone helpline
November 2025
From November 2025 we will be closing the IBD Telephone Helpline. We will be transitioning to the IBD email Helpline (coch.ibdnurses@nhs.net) as the single point of access for IBD issues.
This decision has been made following patient feedback and discussions from within the IBD Team (Consultants, Nurses, Admin team etc). Multiple issues with the telephone Helpline have previously been raised, including difficulty getting through or the voicemail being full.
By moving to a single, focussed IBD email service:
- Issues can be triaged quicker and more efficiently (admin, results, medications, flares etc) allowing us to highlight patients experiencing a flare sooner and contacting them to arrange treatment and investigations
- Provide a five-day IBD helpline service with allocated time slots for the IBD Nursing Team to support the helpline
- Forward on queries and issues to appropriate health care professionals more efficiently
- Share information and resources more effectively
- Modernise the IBD service as we aim to integrate more digital services
- Remain in keeping the IBD Standards.
From November 2025, the telephone line will be closed however there will be an answerphone message to signpost people to the email service.
When emailing the IBD team, please include your name, date of birth, NHS/ hospital number if known, your issue or question along with a contact number for us to call you back if indicated. Monday to Friday, 9-4pm a member of the IBD team will aim to respond within 24 hours for acute/ flare related issues and within 3 working days for routine queries. Please do not contact the Gastroenterology Secretary team for acute IBD related issues.
As previous, the IBD Helpline is not an emergency service and if your issue is urgent, please seek appropriate medical help through your GP, 111 or A&E.
Thank you for your support,
CoCH IBD Team