Gastroenterology and Nutrition

Our department provides a world-class service to the children of West Midlands and beyond. We are a team of experienced specialists looking after patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), children with intestinal failure (on home parenteral nutrition) and other gastrointestinal diseases.

We have one of the largest cohorts of paediatric inflammatory bowel disease patients in the United Kingdom. The service encompasses all aspects of IBD care; medical, nursing and surgical treatments, psychological and nutritional support, research and education, as well as service for the transition from childhood to adulthood.

We directly look after one of the largest cohorts of children with intestinal failure on home parenteral nutrition (HPN) in the United Kingdom and this is in conjunction with the Nutritional Care team, here at the Children’s Hospital.

We provide the following services:

Outpatient clinics
Home parenteral nutrition (HPN) clinics
Day case diagnostic endoscopy/colonoscopy service for those children who have been assessed as would benefit from investigations
Day case infusion service for infliximab or intravenous iron
Monthly multi-disciplinary teleconference meetings for tertiary referrals on complex intestinal failure patients
Inpatient Nutrition Support and Intestinal Failure (NSIF) service (supporting parenteral nutrition use whilst an inpatient with us).
PH impedance study
Capsule endoscopy
We are involved in research and drug trials so that patients will have better outcomes and medications available to them

The team

We have six specialist consultants, one advanced nurse practitioner, one specialist nurse, and three full-time dietitians working with the team. We also work closely with the nutritional care team, pharmacists, surgeons and the Liver Unit.

Location and Facilities

Our inpatients are mainly based at the Children's Hospital on Ward 2, for infants, and Ward 7, for adolescents. Day case patients are usually admitted to the Medical Daycare Unit.