We are a nationally designated Intestinal Failure (IF) Unit and we accept referrals from the North East and Cumbria. We care for patients with intestinal failure and where necessary start patients on home parenteral support.
Our team includes a range of healthcare professionals including:
- Consultant gastroenterologists and consultant intestinal failure surgeons
- Specialist nurses
- Specialist dietitians
- Dedicated intestinal failure pharmacist and psychologist
- Specialist physiotherapists and occupational therapists
Our service will help support you during an often difficult time with significant changes to your daily life.
What is intestinal failure?
Intestinal failure is a reduction in the gut function, where the gut is not able to absorb macronutrients and/or water and electrolytes. You may be given nutrition or fluid and electrolytes through intravenous support to maintain normal growth and function.
Who is at risk of intestinal failure?
There are three types of intestinal failure.
Supporting patients with intestinal failure
If you have intestinal failure, you may require specialist care provided by our multidisciplinary team. As a regional unit, some of our patients are referred to our team from other hospitals.
If we think that you need home parenteral support and/or intestinal failure surgical input, we will arrange a transfer to our specialist intestinal failure and rehabilitation unit at the Freeman Hospital.
Our new unit based on ward 11 at Freeman Hospital. The unit will provide specialist care and treatment by staff highly trained to meet the needs of our patients.
If you are transferred to our service you will receive input to your care from a number of healthcare professionals on our unit.
All of the team play an important role in supporting your treatment. Often patients come into our service having experienced significant and complex changes to their health and our focus is initially on stabilising your condition and assessing an individualised treatment plan with you.
Parenteral support
Parenteral support is administered using long term intravenous lines. These can last weeks to many years dependent on the type of line you have inserted.
Patients on home parenteral support will be followed up through our outpatient clinic where we hold weekly clinics.
Home parenteral nutrition (HPN)
If your condition is stabilised but you need ongoing parenteral support, then we will consider home parenteral nutrition (HPN) with you. This is intravenous fluid/feeding which can be administered at home. We care for around 150 patients who require this support within the region.
In most cases, you or your friends and family members will receive specialist in depth training. This will allow you to administer these treatments at home, avoiding unnecessary and frequent trips to hospitals. You will be taught how to safely care for and administer feed/fluids through your line.
Referrals
Healthcare professionals can make a referral to our team by completing an online referral using the Intestinal Failure and Home Parenteral Nutrition NENC connect referral pathway.
