Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) telephone advice line service

General information leaflet regarding telephone advice line

What is the IBD advice line?

IBD is a general term to describe chronic inflammation of the gastro intestinal system or gut, the most common forms being Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. The IBD advice line is a telephone service for advice about the treatment you are taking for this or general IBD related problems that may occur in between your normal scheduled clinic appointments. The number to call is 01223 257212.

It is a non-urgent service. If you consider your problem is more urgent then you will need to consult other alternative urgent services such as out of hours GP service or NHS 111. You should attend A+E if a clinical emergency

Why has it been set up?

IBD is often unpredictable as to when and how it can “flare-up” and may rarely coincide with a planned clinic appointment.

You can still contact your own GP for advice between scheduled clinic appointments. This service is an additional means to access advice on how to manage IBD-related problems in between planned appointments in order to avoid worsening problems that might otherwise lead to hospital admission for emergency treatment.

Who can use the IBD advice line?

You can call this service if you:

• Have a definite diagnosis of IBD(Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, indeterminate colitis or IBDU, proctitis, microscopic colitis ie lymphocytic colitis/collagenous colitis)-if you are unsure you can leave a message and we can re direct you to the most appropriate alternative service if indicated
• Are able and willing to discuss by telephone all information that might be important in regarding appropriate advice and then to follow advice given. Be prepared

How does the advice line work?

The first point of contact with the service is by voicemail only.

Please listen very carefully to the recorded message and follow instructions given.

Messages are picked up once a day by the administration team and therefore depending on the time of day you leave the message it could be picked up the following day. Please indicate in your message whether or not you are happy for the team to leave a message if you are unavailable on call back. For reasons of confidentiality we will generally need to talk to only you as the patient unless you have given consent for us to speak with a nominated person on your behalf.

Where appropriate, your problem may be dealt with by the administration team. Alternatively, you may be offered a booked telephone consultation with one of the IBD nurses. Typically, this will be the next working day, where service pressures allow.

On some occasions, where we are unable to provide sufficient IBD nurse telephone slots in a timely manner, there may be no option to leave a message. In these instances, you should seek alternative sources of advice, including via your GP.

What if I need bloods taking or a prescription?

If necessary, following the telephone consultation we will arrange for any blood tests to be done and/or prescriptions to be issued. This is sometimes possible via your GP, but it may require your attendance to Addenbrooke’s or any of the hospital facilities. A letter will be sent to your surgery informing your GP of any change in treatment plan and information regarding further follow-up in clinic or via telephone. Other further investigations might be requested prior to us being able to make a decision regarding appropriate treatment and follow up.

Will this take the place of my normal clinic appointment?

This will generally not take the place of an appointment in clinic. However, advice via the telephone may mean that your planned clinic appointment can be rescheduled for a later date.

If I am well do I need to keep coming to clinic or can I have a telephone review instead?

There are many patients with IBD that remain well between their scheduled appointments in clinic and could be followed up by means other than a face to face appointment. If you feel this applies to you, then you should raise this with your IBD team at your next clinic appointment.

Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)

PALS are here to provide help, advice, support and information and to listen to your suggestions and concerns.

If you, your relatives or your carers are unhappy with any aspect of your care, or the service you receive while you are attending an outpatient clinic or via the telephone clinic, you or they should speak to a member of the clinic staff as soon as possible. If you feel unable to speak directly to staff, then contact PALS on 01223 216756 or email them on the PALS e-mail address (opens in a new tab), they will be able to assist you.

You can ask a friend or relative to speak to us on your behalf, but we must have your permission before we can discuss your personal circumstances with anyone else. Very often problems can be resolved straightaway, so please contact us as soon as possible so you can be reassured about any aspect of your care.

The PALS office is open Monday to Friday 09:00 to 17:00 (with extended hours when staffing permits).

Useful contact details:

• IBD advice line: 01223 257212
• IBD Secretary: 01223 217990
• Clinic 12: 01223 217452
• Endoscopy: 01223 216515 (Nurses) 01223 257080 (Bookings)