01/07/2025
We have seen our last patients through our Lower GI support service today, 1 July 2025.
The service was set up to support the 2-week wait Lower GI departments at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King's Lynn NHS Foundation Trust by providing an alternative pathway for FIT Negative patients (with exceptions to patients who have a family history of colore**al cancer, Iron-deficient Anemia, a detected mass or re**al bleeding).
Our clinical team saw 761 patients with a low risk of colore**al cancer off the 2ww Lower GI waiting lists, helping to reduce wait times for high-risk patients and diagnosing low risk patients with other gastrointestinal problems in primary care.
No patients in this cohort were diagnosed with colore**al cancer, but four were diagnosed with other forms of cancer (two Oesophageal and two Lung).
187 patients responded to feedback, with 97.7% giving an answer of Excellent/Good when asked ‘Overall, how was your experience of the Lower GI Support Service?’
Feedback comments included:
“Efficient, supportive and a welcome surprise to know a service can be totally ‘patient’ focused. Kind and helpful administrators and doctors made the experience positive. Thank you”
“The service was excellent, appointments were very much on time and there were in depth conversation. Where advice was required it was given. ln all, the experience was very useful.”
We would like to thank all the staff who worked for the service during this time, including our Clinical team- Dr Kerry McDonald, Dr Jaime Baxter, Dr Kate Slapp, Dr Richard Windsor, Dr Sam Martin and Alex Whales, and our Administrative team- Samantha Garstang, Jessica Hobdell and Huw Roberts, for providing this excellent service.
