Assessing lower-GI symptoms in primary care
This educational resource introduces you to the national Primary Care Diagnostic Pathway for Lower Gastrointestinal symptoms. The pathway was developed to improve recognition, assessment and referral of patients presenting with lower GI symptoms in primary care.
By the end of this education, you should be able to:
- Explain the purpose, structure and clinical rationale of the pathway
- Identify patients presenting with lower-GI symptoms who are appropriate for management within the pathway
- Recognise red-flag features and clinical situations that require urgent escalation or direct referral
- Select and interpret appropriate first-line investigations, including faecal calprotectin
- Apply the pathway to real‑world clinical scenarios
- Use the pathway to structure clear, patient‑centred conversations
- Demonstrate appropriate safety‑netting when managing patients with ongoing or evolving lower-GI symptoms
Finished the education and want to let us know what you think?
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Last updated: 22/07/2026
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Access the course with certificate download - NHS Hub login required