We are delighted that the National Primary Care Diagnostic Pathway for lower gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms is now live on the dedicated website.

The pathway has been endorsed by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) and the British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG). The paediatric pathway has been endorsed by the British Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (BSPGHAN). 

The pathway was developed in partnership with the BSG, BSPGHAN, the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland (ACPGBI), Coeliac UK, Crohn’s & Colitis UK, CICRA, Guts UK, and The IBS Network. Crucially, we also worked with a range of primary care healthcare professionals (including GPs and nurses) and people with lived experience. 

The website hosts separate pathways for adults and children and young people. There are also detailed supporting resources for adults to help improve understanding and experience of what their diagnostic journey might look like in primary and community care. 

The pathway was created because the BSG and other charities supporting people with lower GI conditions have had longstanding concerns about the impact of delayed diagnosis in the people they represent. Delayed diagnosis for lower GI conditions also has significant impact on the NHS.

Before the pathway, there have been other diagnostic tools that looked at individual lower GI conditions – though these were often unhelpful for someone presenting with symptoms, rather than a diagnosed condition. There were also difficulties surrounding the need to consult multiple separate documents. It was agreed that the only way to make a real impact going forward was to develop a nationally agreed pathway for the diagnosis of people presenting with lower GI symptoms. The National Primary Care Diagnostic Pathway for lower GI symptoms gives guidance to healthcare professionals on screening and testing of lower GI symptoms across the UK. 

Thank you to everyone who took part in the consultation as part of the pathway development. We hope that the pathway will increase early diagnosis and improve experience of diagnostic journeys in primary and community care. To ensure the pathways have the biggest impact possible, we would appreciate if you’d be able to share the website with your networks and help spread the word.

Read the FAQs here.