Rapid Access Appointment

There are many situations where an earlier appointment could be scheduled to fast track appropriate care. We encourage parents to mention about the below to our administration staff to help prioritise an appointment:

1. Positive Coeliac serology:

Having a positive blood test for coeliac disease could be stressful. As going gluten free prior to gastroscopy may cause confusion about the diagnosis. Those children on gluten reduced/free diet may have do go on a formal gluten challenge for at least 6-8 weeks prior to an endoscopy. To avoid these situations an earlier appointment could be prioritised.

2. Elevated stool calprotectin and suspected inflammatory bowel disease:

Inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative colitis) is a chronic inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract. A stool calprotectin is an excellent screen for such conditions. However, there are many other situations where it could be raised. Those children with raised stool calprotectin are recommended to have an earlier appointment to further investigate the cause.

3. Dysphagia (swallowing difficulties):

Children with dysphagia (swallowing difficulties) may have an oesophageal pathology such as Eosinophilic oesophagitis, an inflammatory condition due to allergy to certain food or environmental triggers. Confirmation of diagnosis and treatment is recommended as delay in diagnosis and treatment may result in oesophageal narrowing.

4. Abnormal liver function test:

Abnormal liver function picked up on incidentally could be an indicator of a chronic liver condition such as autoimmune hepatitis, wilson’s disease, fatty liver disease and many more. An extensive investigation is indicated to ascertain a diagnosis and commence appropriate intervention.

Rapid Access Appointment

There are many situations where an earlier appointment could be scheduled to fast track appropriate care.