FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I cover when seeing a patient with coeliac disease?

Information on the management of coeliac disease, including new patient appointment and follow up appointment checklists can be found on the Coeliac UK website. You can also refer patients to Coeliac UK for further information and support on the gluten free diet and access to resources. Find out more about the benefits for your patients of joining Coeliac UK.

How do I join?

Joining is easy. Simply go to www.coeliac.org.uk/HCPMembership and complete the join form. You will be asked for your professional registration number and other details regarding your profession. Once you’ve completed and submitted the join form you’ll receive an email to activate your online account. You’ll have access to our exclusive HCP web pages and be able to update your personal online scrapbook with all the pages and documents that you find the most useful.

I was previously a HCP Member, will I automatically be included in the Network?

Previous Members have been sent communications over the last few months to join the Network. However if you missed out on these please log in online using your email address and password and you will be directed to a form to renew your Membership.

Do you have to be a Healthcare Professional join as an HCP Member?

Yes you do need to be a Healthcare Professional to join as an HCP Member. You must register with a valid email address, your professional registration number and a work address for validation purposes.

What is the Healthcare Professional (HCP) Membership?

The HCP Membership is an exclusive professional membership giving you more targeted and tailored information and support to support you in your profession. 

What are the benefits of being a Healthcare Professional member?

We really appreciate all the work you do to support people living with coeliac disease and want to make sure that you have the resources and tools you need to do so. As an HCP Member of Coeliac UK you will have access to the following:

  • Live Well Gluten Free app
  • Food and Drink Guide
  • electronic newsletters
  • Helpline support
  • Food and Drink Information
  • Venue Guide on our website
  • Recipe Database on our website
  • online publications and leaflets
  • monthly Food and Drink Guide updates
  • food alerts
  • Crossed Grain magazine
  • HCP forum

In order to provide these benefits free of charge to healthcare professionals, we will be asking members to renew on a yearly basis.

Who can attend the Coeliac UK Research Conference?

Employees of the NHS involved in the diagnosis and/or management of patients with coeliac disease and/or gluten related conditions. Academics, researchers or students, employed or registered with a university, and have an interest in coeliac disease, gluten related autoimmune conditions and / or the gluten free diet. All Coeliac UK members can access Powerpoint presentations (where permission from the speaker has been given) and videos for each of the talks which can be accessed via membership login. 

How do I diagnose coeliac disease?

There is a National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guideline on recognition, assessment and management of coeliac disease for healthcare professionals in Primary and Secondary care. The guideline outlines the symptoms and patients at risk of coeliac disease and also the appropriate blood tests and the exact process to be completed in order to identify patients with coeliac disease.

The British Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (BSPGHAN) in collaboration with Coeliac UK published guidelines on the diagnosis of coeliac disease in children in 2013. These guidelines suggest that in some cases in children with symptoms and whose blood tests show a high level of antibodies and who have the genes present for coeliac disease, a biopsy may not be needed to confirm diagnosis. We have further information on the diagnosis of coeliac disease on our website.