❓ A WA parliamentary question addresses the practice of advising parents to delay gluten-free diets for children awaiting coeliac disease diagnosis via colonoscopy at Princess Margaret Hospital, querying waiting times, potential adverse effects, and government actions to reduce waiting lists.
AnsweredQoN 1759Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
(1) Do staff at Princess Margaret Hospital routinely or ever advise parents of patients diagnosed with Coeliac Disease to cease their gluten-free diet until they have a colonoscopy?
(2) What is the average waiting time for a colonoscopy procedure for a child at Princess Margaret Hospital under the public health system?
(a) Do patients suffer adverse effects as a result of these delays?
(3) Why do some patients wait months on gluten diets waiting for their procedure when gluten-free diets may assist their welfare?
(4) What is the Government doing to reduce this particular waiting list?
(2) What is the average waiting time for a colonoscopy procedure for a child at Princess Margaret Hospital under the public health system?
(a) Do patients suffer adverse effects as a result of these delays?
(3) Why do some patients wait months on gluten diets waiting for their procedure when gluten-free diets may assist their welfare?
(4) What is the Government doing to reduce this particular waiting list?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
19 March 2007
Responded by
Minister for Health
Response time
20 days
(1) Patients are routinely asked not to commence a gluten free diet (GFD) while awaiting a diagnostic endoscopy for coeliac disease, as initiation of a GFD may make it difficult to make a diagnosis. This is important because if coeliac disease is confirmed then a lifelong GFD is recommended. If a patient has commenced a GFD it would usually be suggested to reintroduce gluten to the diet so that a mucosal biopsy can be made. (2) The average waiting time for endoscopic procedures is six to eight weeks. (2a) Urgency of need is taken into consideration when determining access to the procedure. Patients may be moved forward on the waitlist in order to avoid any adverse outcomes. (3) If patients are not ill and there is no urgency for an endoscopic biopsy they may wait for up to 8 weeks for a biopsy. This will occur in circumstances where coeliac disease is suspected on the basis of a blood test, but where significant symptoms are not present. It is still recommended that a GFD not be commenced until an endoscopy has been performed and proper diagnosis made because of the lifelong nature of coeliac disease and because of the limitations of the blood tests utilised. (4) The waiting list for endoscopic procedures is carefully managed so that risks to patients are minimised. An example of this is a patient who presented on Friday, 23 rd February 2007, and was quite ill, has undergone an endoscopy and biopsy within 72 hours of presentation. An additional gastroenterologist is being appointed to the staff of Princess Margaret HospitalMH to improve patient access to services.
(2) The average waiting time for endoscopic procedures is six to eight weeks. (2a) Urgency of need is taken into consideration when determining access to the procedure. Patients may be moved forward on the waitlist in order to avoid any adverse outcomes. (3) If patients are not ill and there is no urgency for an endoscopic biopsy they may wait for up to 8 weeks for a biopsy. This will occur in circumstances where coeliac disease is suspected on the basis of a blood test, but where significant symptoms are not present. It is still recommended that a GFD not be commenced until an endoscopy has been performed and proper diagnosis made because of the lifelong nature of coeliac disease and because of the limitations of the blood tests utilised. (4) The waiting list for endoscopic procedures is carefully managed so that risks to patients are minimised. An example of this is a patient who presented on Friday, 23 rd February 2007, and was quite ill, has undergone an endoscopy and biopsy within 72 hours of presentation. An additional gastroenterologist is being appointed to the staff of Princess Margaret HospitalMH to improve patient access to services.
(2a) Urgency of need is taken into consideration when determining access to the procedure. Patients may be moved forward on the waitlist in order to avoid any adverse outcomes. (3) If patients are not ill and there is no urgency for an endoscopic biopsy they may wait for up to 8 weeks for a biopsy. This will occur in circumstances where coeliac disease is suspected on the basis of a blood test, but where significant symptoms are not present. It is still recommended that a GFD not be commenced until an endoscopy has been performed and proper diagnosis made because of the lifelong nature of coeliac disease and because of the limitations of the blood tests utilised. (4) The waiting list for endoscopic procedures is carefully managed so that risks to patients are minimised. An example of this is a patient who presented on Friday, 23 rd February 2007, and was quite ill, has undergone an endoscopy and biopsy within 72 hours of presentation. An additional gastroenterologist is being appointed to the staff of Princess Margaret HospitalMH to improve patient access to services.
(3) If patients are not ill and there is no urgency for an endoscopic biopsy they may wait for up to 8 weeks for a biopsy. This will occur in circumstances where coeliac disease is suspected on the basis of a blood test, but where significant symptoms are not present. It is still recommended that a GFD not be commenced until an endoscopy has been performed and proper diagnosis made because of the lifelong nature of coeliac disease and because of the limitations of the blood tests utilised. (4) The waiting list for endoscopic procedures is carefully managed so that risks to patients are minimised. An example of this is a patient who presented on Friday, 23 rd February 2007, and was quite ill, has undergone an endoscopy and biopsy within 72 hours of presentation. An additional gastroenterologist is being appointed to the staff of Princess Margaret HospitalMH to improve patient access to services.
(3) If patients are not ill and there is no urgency for an endoscopic biopsy they may wait for up to 8 weeks for a biopsy. This will occur in circumstances where coeliac disease is suspected on the basis of a blood test, but where significant symptoms are not present. It is still recommended that a GFD not be commenced until an endoscopy has been performed and proper diagnosis made because of the lifelong nature of coeliac disease and because of the limitations of the blood tests utilised. (4) The waiting list for endoscopic procedures is carefully managed so that risks to patients are minimised. An example of this is a patient who presented on Friday, 23 rd February 2007, and was quite ill, has undergone an endoscopy and biopsy within 72 hours of presentation. An additional gastroenterologist is being appointed to the staff of Princess Margaret HospitalMH to improve patient access to services.
(4) The waiting list for endoscopic procedures is carefully managed so that risks to patients are minimised. An example of this is a patient who presented on Friday, 23 rd February 2007, and was quite ill, has undergone an endoscopy and biopsy within 72 hours of presentation. An additional gastroenterologist is being appointed to the staff of Princess Margaret HospitalMH to improve patient access to services.
(2) The average waiting time for endoscopic procedures is six to eight weeks. (2a) Urgency of need is taken into consideration when determining access to the procedure. Patients may be moved forward on the waitlist in order to avoid any adverse outcomes. (3) If patients are not ill and there is no urgency for an endoscopic biopsy they may wait for up to 8 weeks for a biopsy. This will occur in circumstances where coeliac disease is suspected on the basis of a blood test, but where significant symptoms are not present. It is still recommended that a GFD not be commenced until an endoscopy has been performed and proper diagnosis made because of the lifelong nature of coeliac disease and because of the limitations of the blood tests utilised. (4) The waiting list for endoscopic procedures is carefully managed so that risks to patients are minimised. An example of this is a patient who presented on Friday, 23 rd February 2007, and was quite ill, has undergone an endoscopy and biopsy within 72 hours of presentation. An additional gastroenterologist is being appointed to the staff of Princess Margaret HospitalMH to improve patient access to services.
(2a) Urgency of need is taken into consideration when determining access to the procedure. Patients may be moved forward on the waitlist in order to avoid any adverse outcomes. (3) If patients are not ill and there is no urgency for an endoscopic biopsy they may wait for up to 8 weeks for a biopsy. This will occur in circumstances where coeliac disease is suspected on the basis of a blood test, but where significant symptoms are not present. It is still recommended that a GFD not be commenced until an endoscopy has been performed and proper diagnosis made because of the lifelong nature of coeliac disease and because of the limitations of the blood tests utilised. (4) The waiting list for endoscopic procedures is carefully managed so that risks to patients are minimised. An example of this is a patient who presented on Friday, 23 rd February 2007, and was quite ill, has undergone an endoscopy and biopsy within 72 hours of presentation. An additional gastroenterologist is being appointed to the staff of Princess Margaret HospitalMH to improve patient access to services.
(3) If patients are not ill and there is no urgency for an endoscopic biopsy they may wait for up to 8 weeks for a biopsy. This will occur in circumstances where coeliac disease is suspected on the basis of a blood test, but where significant symptoms are not present. It is still recommended that a GFD not be commenced until an endoscopy has been performed and proper diagnosis made because of the lifelong nature of coeliac disease and because of the limitations of the blood tests utilised. (4) The waiting list for endoscopic procedures is carefully managed so that risks to patients are minimised. An example of this is a patient who presented on Friday, 23 rd February 2007, and was quite ill, has undergone an endoscopy and biopsy within 72 hours of presentation. An additional gastroenterologist is being appointed to the staff of Princess Margaret HospitalMH to improve patient access to services.
(3) If patients are not ill and there is no urgency for an endoscopic biopsy they may wait for up to 8 weeks for a biopsy. This will occur in circumstances where coeliac disease is suspected on the basis of a blood test, but where significant symptoms are not present. It is still recommended that a GFD not be commenced until an endoscopy has been performed and proper diagnosis made because of the lifelong nature of coeliac disease and because of the limitations of the blood tests utilised. (4) The waiting list for endoscopic procedures is carefully managed so that risks to patients are minimised. An example of this is a patient who presented on Friday, 23 rd February 2007, and was quite ill, has undergone an endoscopy and biopsy within 72 hours of presentation. An additional gastroenterologist is being appointed to the staff of Princess Margaret HospitalMH to improve patient access to services.
(4) The waiting list for endoscopic procedures is carefully managed so that risks to patients are minimised. An example of this is a patient who presented on Friday, 23 rd February 2007, and was quite ill, has undergone an endoscopy and biopsy within 72 hours of presentation. An additional gastroenterologist is being appointed to the staff of Princess Margaret HospitalMH to improve patient access to services.
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