Bile acid diarrhoea
In this episode, Charlie Andrews speaks to Professor Julian Walters about bile acid malabsorption and diarrhoea. With up to a third of patients with diarrhoea-predominant IBS having underlying bile acid diarrhoea, and with diagnosis rates for this condition being low, this episode is an important one for anyone working in primary care. We explore the role…
Read MoreFaecal calprotectin
In this episode, Charlie Andrews speaks to Dr James Turvill about faecal calprotectin use in primary care. Dr Turvill is a gastroenterologist based in York, who was instrumental in developing the NICE-approved and widely adopted York Faecal Calprotectin Care Pathway. What is calprotectin? When should we use it in primary care? How should we interpret…
Read MoreIBS – dietary management and the 10-minute consultation…
Marianne Williams is an extremely experienced dietician, innovator, digital technology advocate and winner of the NHS England Allied Health Professional of the Year prize for 2018. In this episode, Marianne shares her wealth of knowledge around all things IBS to discuss initial dietary management, the low FODMAPs diet, the role of probiotics, and gives us…
Read MoreIBD Flare Management
In this episode Charlie Andrews speaks to Dr Kevin Barrett about IBD flare management. On average, 50% of patients will flare annually, and often the GP surgery is the first port of call. We therefore need to know how to assess and manage patients presenting with symptomatic IBD. Kevin Barrett, IBD clinical champion for IBD…
Read MoreUpdated guidance on FIT testing in primary care
In this episode, Charlie Andrews speaks to Dr Kevin Monahan, lead author for the joint guidelines published by the BSG and ACPGBI in July 2022 outlining the role of FIT testing in patients with symptoms suggestive of colorectal cancer. These guidelines have informed how we use FIT in primary care, and in this episode he…
Read MoreAbnormal LFTs and non-alcoholic liver disease
Did you know that according to the British Liver Trust, up to 20% of the general population has non-alcoholic liver disease (‘fatty liver disease’) and the prevalence is predicted to rise over the coming years. Morbidity associated with this can be significant, with a proportion of patients with fatty liver disease developing fibrosis of the…
Read MoreCoeliac disease management and follow-up
Join Charlie Andrews in this episode where he speaks to Cristian Costas about the management of people diagnosed with coeliac disease. Cristian is a dynamic dietician who is based in Bradford. He is passionate about coeliac disease and runs an innovative dietician-led service for those with coeliac disease in his area. Cristian shares with us…
Read MoreBackground to FIT testing in primary care
In primary care, we are increasingly using FIT (Faecal Immunochemical Testing) to assess the risk of bowel cancer in patients with lower gastrointestinal symptoms, whilst the latest PCN DES IIF (Impact and Investment Fund) has given FIT a prominent role in risk stratifying 2-week wait referrals to secondary care. In this episode, Mo Thoufeeq, a…
Read MoreBridging the gap between primary and secondary care in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
In this episode, I am joined by Pearl Avery. Pearl has a unique role – she spends part of her week as an IBD nurse specialist, and part of her week as an ANP (Advanced Nurse Practitioner) working in a GP practice. Pearl has a fantastic understanding of both primary and secondary care and shares…
Read MoreInflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
I speak to Chris Lamb about IBD. Chris was lead author on the BSG IBD guidelines which were published in 2019. The full guidance can be found here: BSG-IBD-Guidelines-2019.pdf Chris is a fount of knowledge for all things related to IBD and I have a fascinating chat with him about the guidance and how these relate…
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