Patient Story - SASH
This page is part of the documentation of the work of Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust.
Case study: PKB - a lifeline for a bright student
Liam is 22 years old and from East Surrey. Like many people his age, Liam was looking forward to starting a new chapter in his life, moving 70 miles away from home to study economics at the University of Portsmouth. However in April 2018 Liam’s health started to deteriorate and, following a number of stays in hospital, he was eventually diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis.
As someone who had always previously been very healthy, the news of the diagnosis came as a shock to Liam and his family and also put in to question his future at university. Liam required regular close support from his healthcare team to monitor any flare-ups.
Shortly after the diagnosis, Liam was given access to his PKB account. He used this to educate himself about his new condition and also to monitor his blood tests, manage appointments and communicate directly with his specialist team, including Dr Ansari (Consultant Gastroenterologist, at East Surrey Hospital). He said:
As someone who had always previously been very healthy, the news of the diagnosis came as a shock to Liam and his family and also put in to question his future at university. Liam required regular close support from his healthcare team to monitor any flare-ups.
Shortly after the diagnosis, Liam was given access to his PKB account. He used this to educate himself about his new condition and also to monitor his blood tests, manage appointments and communicate directly with his specialist team, including Dr Ansari (Consultant Gastroenterologist, at East Surrey Hospital). He said:
I use it as a quick way to contact the people I need to get in touch with at a much quicker timescale than it would take me if I were to use the other services. By early intervention, it allows me to prevent my condition from getting worse and then having to use the other emergency services.
As an example, when I had to use my GP, it took over a month before I was referred and my condition severely worsened in that time space. With PKB, I am able to contact the necessary people in order to improve the outcome of my condition much quicker. I usually get a response the same working day which is excellent. Since I have been able to effectively use PKB, I have not been re-admitted to hospital as an early intervention approach has been taken and, for me, this has had a good impact on my personal wellbeing.
Now that I have returned to university, it is important for me to use PKB to contact the necessary people for my care when needed like Dr Ansari. For example, last week my kidney test results came back high so I contacted Dr Ansari for advice as, unfortunately, I do not have access to the same quality of support for my IBD in Portsmouth as I do in Surrey.
Crohn’s and Colitis UK estimates that ulcerative colitis affects 1 in every 420 people in the UK - that’s roughly 146,000 people. However, several studies have found that close monitoring and support with PKB can help to improve the quality of life and wellbeing for patients with IBD.
