A National Snapshot Audit of the Management of Acute Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Title
Information

Lead investigator(s)

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) National Comparative Audit Programme, in collaboration with the White Rose Surgical Collaborative (WRSC) and North West Research Collaborative (NWRC)(Project leads: Jack Helliwell & Matthew Davenport)

Study type

National Audit

Study status

  • Open

Study summary

SURGE is a UK-wide clinical audit delivered through the NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) National Comparative Audit Programme, in collaboration with the White Rose Surgical Collaborative (WRSC) and North West Research Collaborative (NWRC).

This will be the first national snapshot audit of acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB) in over a decade, providing an important opportunity to understand how patients are managed across the NHS and how practice has evolved since publication of the 2019 British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) guidelines.

By benchmarking investigation, treatment, transfusion practice and service provision across UK hospitals, SURGE will identify unwarranted variation in care, highlight examples of best practice, and generate evidence to support future quality improvement and service development.

SURGE is supported by ASGBI and the British Society of Gastroenterology, and is funded by Bowel Research UK.

Protocol:

https://wrsc.info/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/SURGE-protocol-1.0.pdf

Aims

  • Benchmark contemporary management of acute LGIB against national BSG guidance.

  • Describe variation in investigation, transfusion practice, and management (radiological, endoscopic and surgical) across UK hospitals.
  • Evaluate the management of anticoagulant and antiplatelet therapy in patients presenting with LGIB.
  • Assess organisational aspects of LGIB care, including access to endoscopy, interventional radiology and ambulatory pathways.
  • Generate high-quality national data to inform future quality improvement initiatives and service planning.

Participation

We are inviting every NHS hospital managing patients with acute LGIB to participate.

Each participating site should nominate:

  • One Hospital Lead (resident doctor)
  • One Senior Lead (consultant)
  • A team of collaborators
  • One Independent Data Validator

Participation provides an opportunity to contribute to a nationally coordinated NHSBT comparative audit, benchmark your hospitals practice against national standards, and receive collaborative authorship on resulting publications and presentations.

Getting Involved

To register your interest in participating in this national audit, please follow the link to the form below:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfDBMzwOELKpOtdzCKUWz39tXOLuzaQ-qbPhcD3-bP-JV40CQ/viewform

As we reach the height of summer, it’s a great moment to pause and look forward to what’s still to come in the ASGBI calendar this year. We’re proud to continue delivering high-quality, relevant, and future-focused content for our members - and the months ahead promise just that.

Mr Christian Macutkiewicz

 President of ASGBI
 President’s Address, Congress 2025
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