Despite being one of the most common medical emergencies a recent NCEPOD report has highlighted a continuing deficiency in care for patients with gastrointestinal bleeding. The report identifies the problems and suggests opportunities to improve care.
Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is one of the commonest medical emergencies. The incidence rate of 1.33/1000 population equates to approximately 85,000 cases every year in the UK – or one gastrointestinal bleed every six minutes.1, 2 Several surveys have highlighted the fact that current services are inadequately resourced, particularly in the out-of-hours period.3,4,5
GI bleeding accounts for 14% of all blood transfusions. It is the second commonest medical reason for transfusion in the UK after haematological malignancy.6 Early treatment can reduce the number of units of blood received and complications. Beyond the individual patient benefits, reducing the amount of blood used would reduce NHS transfusion costs.
Less than satisfactory
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