My daughter had been suffering from issues with her stomach for a number of years, slowing getting worse but to the point that her daily life was being impacted. She had gone from a physically active girl to someone who was struggling with pain and cramps every day. We had been supported by our GP however reached the point a referral to a specialist consultant was required. We were informed the NHS had a significant waiting list; privately funding health care was not something I have ever considered accessible to me however I was desperate to get help for my daughter. From the moment I contacted the Pediatric Gut team I felt supported and informed about the options available to me and how much it would cost which was much more affordable than I had considered (there have been not hidden costs).
I was advised what information would be helpful for my NHS GP to share with the Consultant and every effort was made by the Pediatric Gut Staff to liaise with my GP to ensure this information was obtain before our first appointment which was offered within a week!
From the moment we arrived for our Consultation we felt fully supported, in a child friendly environment, there was not a moment we did not have a member of staff looking after us. The meeting with the Doctor was client centered with my daughter being directly consulted about what she had been experiencing. The main feeling, she expressed to me was that she had felt listened to and that for the first time it felt as if the Doctor was confident what the issues was and how it would be addressed, she had spent so long feeling nobody knew what was wrong with her and therefore she just had to live with the pain and condition. We left that first appointment with a diagnosis and treatment plan which my daughter had fully explained to her for her to understand the treatment, what caused it and how it could be managed, she was also reassured this would be monitored by an arranging follow up appointment. We were encouraged to make the Doctor aware of any issues we had in carrying out the agreed treatment or any concerns we had.
My daughter had some tests which were completed on the same day. The staff nurse was simply amazing in the way he explained what would be happening with the procedure and checking in with my daughter that she was happy to go ahead with it at each stage to ensure as much as possible she was in control and could ask questions. If I would have been told that within a month my daughter would have experienced the recovery, she, has I honestly would not have thought it would have been possible.
I cannot thank the staff from the Pediatric team enough for the support and treatment my daughter received, if I had released how easy it would have been to access this specialist support, how efficient it would and how beneficial to the quality of my daughter’s life I would have done it years ago.
Natasha