Guts UK Helpline: Offering information and support when you need it most

Earlier this year, we launched a six-month pilot Helpline service to provide information, support, guidance and signposting to people affected by digestive conditions and symptoms across the UK.

Since the pilot began, we’ve supported more than 1,160 people over the phone and online. The response was overwhelmingly positive, with 85% of people telling us that they felt listened to and that that our support helped them to take the next steps to seek help.

“Thank you so much for being there when I needed someone and for seeing me and hearing me when many others didn’t.”

Following the successful pilot, we’re delighted to share the news that the development of a permanent Helpline service was recently approved by our Board of Trustees, ensuring that we can continue to provide support to people when they need it most.

Who is our Helpline for?

The Helpline is for anyone who needs it – whether you’re experiencing symptoms for the first time and don’t know where to turn, want to better understand a recent diagnosis or know what questions to ask during medical appointments, or you’re supporting a loved one to navigate everyday life with a digestive condition.

So far, most of the people we’ve helped through the Helpline are living with digestive conditions or symptoms themselves, however, we are seeing an increasing number of parents and loved ones seeking to better support family members, as well as healthcare professionals looking to provide care to patients.

Whatever the reason, we’re here to help.

“I phoned your helpline before my GP appointment. I felt so equipped and empowered to demand some treatment as I had suffered long enough without advice or empathy. I was sent links for useful information. Your advisor listened carefully, was empathetic, and made me feel so much better. I felt very grateful to have spoken to such a caring person.”

How to contact our Helpline

The best way to reach our Helpline team is by freephone on 0300 102 4887. Our lines are open Monday to Friday, 10am to 2pm (excluding bank holidays).

Alternatively, you can get in touch using our online webform and a member of our Helpline team will get back to you by email or phone, whichever you’d prefer.

How we can help

Our Helpline team can help with:

• Understanding a digestive condition or symptom.
• Support and guidance around what questions to ask a healthcare professional or what to say to a GP.
• Suggesting other services that might be able to help or signposting to useful information on online.
• Providing professional, publicly available information about possible treatments relating to your condition.

We can’t help with ongoing support, diagnosis of a medical condition, advice on what you should or shouldn’t do, or recommend specific treatments or individual healthcare professionals.