Congratulations to Dr Jennifer Addley (Consultant Gastroenterologist) & the Gastro Ambulatory Care Team who picked up the prestigious Innovative Developments in the Management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Award at the NI Healthcare Awards 2020.
The project has focused on the development of a Gastro Hub which provides a consultant-led gastroenterology service, with access to allied health professionals, such as dieticians, IBD and gastrointestinal cancer nurse specialists and IBD pharmacist services. By putting this in place, a stream of positive changes to patient care has taken place, including a reduced length of inpatient stay for those admitted to hospital, as well as rapid access to diagnostics and procedures, such as endoscopy and paracentesis, and rapid access to blood tests with timely follow-up of results. The unit offers a sense of security for patients as they now have a point of contact where they know they can be seen by a senior clinician in a timely way.