Intestinal Rehabilitation

The Cambridge Centre for Intestinal Rehabilitation and Transplant (CamCIRT) provides nutrition support and multidisciplinary treatment to patients with complex gut disorders both in our hospital and the community.

Our service is comprehensive – providing tube feeding (enteral nutrition, EN) or intravenous nutrition (parenteral nutrition, PN) and intestinal rehabilitation. Feeding tubes are placed endoscopically in selected patients. Addenbrooke’s was the first in the UK to introduce a “Feeding Issues Multidisciplinary Team (FIMDT) meeting to discuss artificial nutrition issues.

Intestinal Failure (IF) is when the intestine is unable to function properly. There are several diseases or injuries that prevent it working properly. People with Intestinal Failure may still be able to eat and drink, but cannot absorb enough water and nutrients (the substances in food which keep us healthy). This means that they may become malnourished and dehydrated (not have enough nutrients and water in the body to keep healthy).

Addenbrooke’s is a regional centre for patients with IF who require multidisciplinary assessment and parenteral nutrition support at home. You will be referred to us from other hospital specialists in East Anglia, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and North Essex. After a period of rehabilitation at home you may undergo further surgery which allows you to stop nutrition and hydration support. Addenbrooke’s is also a national centre for intestinal and multivisceral transplant.

The Intestinal Rehabilitation team has staff with different skills and expertise to make sure you receive the best possible care. The team comprises of gastroenterologists, surgeons, dietitians, nurses and pharmacists and we liaise closely with endoscopy, radiology and the vascular access unit within the hospital.

Key Staff:

Consultant Gastroenterologists: Dr Charlotte Rutter, Dr Dunecan Massey, Dr Jeremy Woodward

CamCIRT Intestinal Rehabilitation Network Manager: Jackie Willis

CamCIRT Intestinal Rehabilitation Co-ordinator: Julie Booty

Referral Information for Professionals

For Intestinal Rehabilitation or Palliative PN referrals please complete all relevant sections of the referral form following a conversation with one of our team.

Any incomplete or eligible forms will be returned for completion as they cannot be processed.

This form needs to be completed even if a referral letter has been sent already.

If you require further information please contact the CamCIRT Intestinal Rehabilitation Co-ordinator on 01223 216037 (option 3) or via email.

CUH IF+HPN Referrals Form

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Information for Patients

Inpatients:

The inpatient unit has moved to Ward U2, located opposite the ATC

Outpatients:

We run multi-disciplinary nutrition outpatient clinics twice a week which are held either face to face or via attend anywhere or telephone, depending on clinical need. All Intestinal Rehabilitation consultants are involved in your care so you may see any one of them during clinics.

Find out more about outpatient video appointments here. Please ensure you join the Gastroenterology waiting room for these appointments.

For face to face appointments our outpatient facilities are based in clinic 12 at Addenbrooke’s. Please ensure you check your appointment letter for which clinic you are to attend.

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View AccessAble information for clinic 12 (opens in a new tab)

You may be asked to provide a urine sample to help assess your hydration status.