Gastroenterology
What is Gastroenterology?
Gastroenterology is the specialty within medicine that looks at the digestive system and its associated structures.
Your digestive tract is the passage which food passes through allowing you to get all the nutrients and energy your body needs to function.
It starts at your mouth, going through the oesophagus into your stomach. It then goes into your small intestine, your large intestine, and finishes at the rectum and anus (bottom).
The liver and its associated structures are also an important part of gastroenterology.
It is a large organ attached to the small intestine providing functions associated with the digestion of food but also many other important health functions.
Our team
Te Whatu Ora Lakes Gastroenterology is a specialist service provided within Internal Medicine.
We are a small team made up of gastroenterologists and a clinical nurse specialist.
Consultants
Dr Charlie Richardson
Dr Richard Newbury
Clinical Nurse Specialist
Pooja Jani
What we do
We provide specialist medical support for gastroenterology inpatients as well as running regular outpatient clinics and endoscopic procedures.
The gastroenterology nurse specialist provides flexible support particularly for those diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis) as well as managing treatment for people with Hepatitis C.
Gastroenterology is supported by wider hospital teams such as in outpatients and on the medical or surgical wards.
People who come into the Gastroenterology service are likely to come across our support teams such as in:
- Outpatients
- Endoscopy
- Day Stay Unit
- Inpatients