Metabolic clinic

This leaflet is designed to welcome patients and families to the inherited metabolic diseases clinic at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH).

About us

The metabolic service is one of the UK’s regional specialist centres for the diagnosis, assessment and management of patients with inherited metabolic diseases (IMD).

Inherited metabolic diseases (opens in a new tab) are a group of rare genetic conditions that cause disruption to the normal chemical reactions taking place in the body.

There are many different inherited metabolic diseases please ask the doctor or nurse for more information about the disease that affects you.

The clinical team consists of:

• Consultant metabolic physicians
• Clinical nurse specialists
• Metabolic dieticians
• Metabolic pharmacist
• Metabolic psychologist
• Administrative staff
• Specialist laboratory staff
• Specialist physiotherapist

You may also need to be seen by other departments in the hospital for investigations and/or clinical advice which will be discussed with you at your clinic appointment.

Usually clinics are held on a Wednesday morning in clinic 12 in the main outpatient department.

You may need to collect medication from the outpatient pharmacy and/or have blood tests at your visit and these departments can be very busy so please allow plenty of time.

You should receive a clinic letter within a day or so of your visit, with a further letter three weeks letter with any test results.

Attending the clinic

There are often quite a few members of the metabolic team present during your appointment and this can sometimes feel a little daunting. You are welcome to bring a friend/ relative with you. We would recommend that you complete any pre-clinic paperwork and hand this in. Please indicate if there is anything you wish to speak to a member of the team about in private.

CUH is a teaching hospital and from time to time there may be medical students or other trainees present at the consultation.

Please:

• Bring a list of your current medication and most recent emergency management plan if you have one
• Allow plenty of time for your visit
• Let us know in advance if you are unable to attend
• Provide feedback on your experience in response to the post clinic text message

MyChart

The hospital has an electronic portal (MyChart) which allows you to securely access parts of your health record. Please ask for more information.

See CUH MyChart information

Finding us

Clinic 12 is located in main outpatients on the ground floor. Please do ask for directions from the hospital volunteers if you have any difficulty finding us.

For help with finding your way to or around the hospital please visit the CUH website - finding us guide.

For help with travel costs please ask for a leaflet in clinic or visit the CUH website - Travel and parking guide.