Charity urges diagnosis in QOF targets

Thursday, February 04, 2010

1 in 100 people in the UK are seriously damaging their health due to GPs failure to diagnose coeliac disease, says Coeliac UK, the leading charity for people with coeliac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis.

Ambassador for the charity Dr Chris Steele MBE - who has recently been diagnosed with the condition himself - handed in a petition to 10 Downing Street signed by 8,783 people asking the government to help find the 500,000 people in the UK who are suffering from illnesses caused by eating gluten, by introducing a target for diagnosis of the disease in the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) of the GP contract.

Dr Chris said: "I have supported the need to raise awareness of diagnosing coeliac disease for many years but never thought that I would be diagnosed myself! It is a condition often over looked and misdiagnosed by GPs, which has resulted in half a million people in the UK currently undiagnosed. Consequently, people are suffering unnecessarily for many years which can also lead to an increased risk of osteoporosis and bowel cancer." Infertility and multiple miscarriages are also common when the condition remains undiagnosed.

Currently GPs do not have a target in their contract to diagnose coeliac disease. By including a target into the QOF, GPs would have to deliver better diagnosis rates of coeliac disease.

He added: "There is also the possible increase cost to the NHS caused through undiagnosis, by ongoing repeat visits by patients to their GP, and we also know of people having unnecessary operations such as gall bladder removal when a simply blood test could start the road to diagnosis; so I urge the Government to include a target for coeliac disease into the Quality and Outcomes Framework."

Gluten is a protein found in wheat (including spelt), rye and barley. Some people are also sensitive to oats. Obvious sources of gluten include breads, pastas, flours, cereals, cakes and biscuits. It is often used as an ingredient in many favourite foods such as fish fingers, sausages, gravies, sauces and soy sauce.

Symptoms range from mild to severe and vary between individuals. Symptoms include abdominal pain, nausea, constipation, diarrhoea, tiredness, anaemia, headaches, mouth ulcers, weight loss – but not in all cases, skin problems, depression, joint or bone pain and nerve problems.

In addition, many people experience symptoms similar to IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) so misdiagnosis is common as patients are told by their doctor that they have IBS, when in fact they have coeliac disease.

There is no cure or medication for coeliac disease and the only treatment is a life-long, strict gluten-free diet. Gluten-free bread, cereals, pastas, biscuits and cakes are all available to buy in supermarkets and are on prescription.