Heather Johnson

Many patients who contact the IBD helpline with flare symptoms require a flexible sigmoidoscopy for accurate assessment. These are usually performed on generic lists where follow up to consider a new treatment plan is arranged resulting in delays in treatment and creating pressure on clinic slots. To combat this at Royal Bournemouth Hospital, an experienced IBD nurse prescriber was trained in flexible sigmoidoscopy with the aim to endoscopically assess patients and potentially start new treatment the same day.

Since starting the IBD nurse flexible sigmoidoscopy clinic, the time interval between developing symptoms and starting a new treatment plan in patients with IBD has reduced.

With the prescribing IBD nurse endoscopist making changes to treatment in 91.2% of patients at the time of the flexible sigmoidoscopy, the introduction of the IBD nurse flexible sigmoidoscopy clinic also led to a reduction in demand on outpatient clinic slots, with 137 clinic slots being saved over 2 years.