Dr Charlie Andrews, a GP from Bath and PCSG Committee Member, explores a range of gastroenterology topics from a GPs perspective. The focus of the series covers...
Dr Charlie Andrews talks to Dr John Leeds. John Leeds is a Consultant Pancreaticobiliary Physician and Endoscopist based at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle and an Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer based in the Population Health Sciences Institute at Newcastle University. He is involved in research in pancreaticobiliary disorders including benign and malignant conditions as well as outcomes from therapeutic/advanced endoscopy.John is a member of the British Society of Gastroenterology and Pancreatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland. He serves on the endoscopy and Pancreas committees for BSG and is the website lead for PSGBI.He is also a founder member of the BSG Pancreas Clinical Research Group which is coordinating research for the society.
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43:36
Pancreatic Conditions Part 1 - Benign
Dr Charlie Andrews talks to Dr John Leeds. John Leeds is a Consultant Pancreaticobiliary Physician and Endoscopist based at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle and an Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer based in the Population Health Sciences Institute at Newcastle University. He is involved in research in pancreaticobiliary disorders including benign and malignant conditions as well as outcomes from therapeutic/advanced endoscopy.John is a member of the British Society of Gastroenterology and Pancreatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland. He serves on the endoscopy and Pancreas committees for BSG and is the website lead for PSGBI.He is also a founder member of the BSG Pancreas Clinical Research Group which is coordinating research for the society.
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1:08:41
IBS Part 2 - Management
Charlie Andrews talks to Dr Chris Black about the management of IBS.This podcast provides key insights into managing Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), emphasising a multidisciplinary and individualised approach to care. Here are the main takeaways:1. Multidisciplinary and Integrative CareIBS management requires a holistic, patient-centered approach involving dietitians, behavioral therapists, and gastroenterologists. This "team sport" approach expands treatment options and tailors care to individual patient needs1.
Integrative care, which combines dietary, psychological, and medical interventions, has been shown to improve symptoms, psychological well-being, and quality of life for IBS patients1.2. Personalised TreatmentIBS is not a one-size-fits-all condition. There are different subtypes of IBS (e.g., IBS-D for diarrhea-predominant or IBS-C for constipation-predominant), and treatment must be customized based on the patient's symptoms and triggers4.
Emerging research suggests the need to identify distinct subtypes of IBS to guide more effective treatments24.3. Dietary ManagementThe low FODMAP diet is a widely recommended dietary intervention for IBS. It helps identify food triggers and manage symptoms but should not be used long-term without personalization3.
Probiotics may also play a role in symptom relief for some patients, though their effectiveness varies3.4. Behavioral InterventionsCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and gut-directed hypnotherapy are effective in managing IBS symptoms, particularly when patients are motivated to engage in these therapies1.
Stress management is critical since stress and anxiety can exacerbate IBS symptoms15.5. Pharmacological TherapiesMedications are often used as complementary treatments when dietary or behavioral strategies alone are insufficient. These include antispasmodics, laxatives, or medications targeting gut-brain interaction
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45:15
Abdominal Pain in Children
Charlie Andrews talks to Dr Anthony (Tony) Wisken, Consultant Paediatric Gastroenterologist in Bristol.The Ingest podcast is hosted by Dr Charlie Andrews a GPwER in gastroenterology based near Bath. Charlie works as a GP partner at Somer Valley Medical Group, trained as an endoscopist and leads the national GPwER in gastroenterology training programme, launched in 2023 in the southwest of England. Charlie is a committee member of the PCSG (Primary Care Society of Gastroenterology). For more information visit pcsg.org.uk
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58:07
Getting It Right First Time. Gastro Innovation in Northumbria
With significant waiting lists and growing demand for secondary care services, Advice and Guidance is being increasingly explored as one potential solution to this problem. In this episode, Charlie Andrews discusses an innovative and extremely successful use of advice and guidance in Northumbria with gastroenterologists Matthew Warren and Richard Thomson. Through the enhanced use of advice and guidance for all incoming referrals for secondary care input, they have demonstrated a significant reduction in waiting times for routine outpatient care. They discuss their advice and guidance model, and what they have learned from developing this service and the impact it has been having on their waiting times, and how it has been received by primary care colleagues (3:30). We go on to discuss some common advice and guidance queries that Matt and Richard see (19:30) and I ask the question - what makes a good advice and guidance query? (43.30).
Dr Charlie Andrews, a GP from Bath and PCSG Committee Member, explores a range of gastroenterology topics from a GPs perspective. The focus of the series covers when to suspect, how to diagnose, when to refer and how to support your patients.