“The Gastro Hub at Lagan Valley Hospital has been a game changer for me. It has been invaluable for me as a point of contact when I need it most.” These are the words of Lyndsay Barry who was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease in 2012.
Lyndsay shared how she suffered from debilitating symptoms associated with her condition such as periods of vomit and diarrhoea, rapid weight loss and extreme pain in her abdomen, “but having a resource such as the Rapid Assessment Gastro Hub has changed everything,” said Lyndsay.
The Rapid Assessment Centre in Lagan Valley Hospital was established in May 2021 and is home to the Respiratory, Palliative Care, Frailty and Gastro Hubs. The Gastro Hub’s aim is to enable primary care patients to have access to rapid assessment and treatment services.
Lyndsay explained when she has a flare up in her condition, “I can get the medication and treatments that I need really quickly. I know who to contact within the Hub.”
From Lisburn, Lyndsay had previously been receiving treatment at the Ulster Hospital. “The Hub is very close to home and I know where I am coming to and who I am going to see. It is hard enough to deal with the condition at times without the stress of having to travel to places that are not convenient. Coming to the Hub and seeing the familiar staff makes everything so much nicer whenever you are not feeling your best.”
Lyndsay continued, “The staff are like friends to me now and I know that they really care.”
Rapid Assessment Centre Sister, Cathy Adams stated, “We recognise the importance of having the right patient, in the right place at the right time. The Hubs provide specialist advice, one stop assessment and diagnostic, treatment clinics as an alternative to hospital admission or Emergency Department attendance. All of our hub services are Consultant-led and are supported by Speciality Doctors and Advanced Practitioners such as Nurses and Physiotherapists. In recent months we have been really excited to introduce the Gastro and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Hubs to our department.”
Speciality Doctor in Gastroenterology, Dr Afifah Abdulhalim explained, “The Lagan Valley Hospital Gastro Hub offers patients who require assessment for their gastrointestinal condition in a secondary care setting. Patients who are referred to the Hub would not be suitable to wait for an outpatient appointment and the aim is to avoid deterioration of symptoms and prevent ED admission.
“We have had excellent feedback and have provided medical attention in a timely fashion which has prevented hospital admission. In addition, the service provides Hub appointments to enable safe and early discharge from hospital which can prevent readmission.”
Specialist Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Nurse, Dawn Kilpatrick operates IBD Hub clinics throughout the week. Appointments are triaged and scheduled according to clinical need and in line with the referral criteria.
Dawn said, “IBD is a debilitating disease which can cause patients to have a poor quality of life. Many IBD patients are unable to leave their home due to the severity of their condition. The right treatment can make a significant difference to patients and can be life changing.
“Once a referral has been received and triaged, patients will be offered a rapid access appointment. When they attend the Gastro Hub they will be assessed and have rapid diagnostic testing carried out to ensure the correct treatment is provided.
“This addition to the IBD nursing service has changed the way patients and GPs can access secondary care without attending ED and Urgent Care Centres.”
