Faecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT)

FMT may be appropriate if you’re affected by any of the following:

• persistent or returning episodes of C. difficile infection following completion of antibiotic treatment. Please note that patients with active C. difficile infection are not eligible and will be directed to the appropriate secondary care service

• ongoing bowel symptoms, including chronic diarrhoea, abdominal cramping, bloating, or urgency, that have not resolved with standard therapy for IBS or ulcerative colitis

• recurrent urinary tract infections that have not been adequately controlled with antibiotics

• persistent gut-related symptoms following prolonged antibiotic use, which may have disrupted your microbiome

How is suitability for FMT determined?

It’s important to understand that FMT is not a first-line treatment. Suitability is established through a structured clinical assessment process designed to ensure every patient is a safe and appropriate candidate before treatment is confirmed.

FMT is offered under a compassionate use framework for patients where all three of the following apply:

1. There’s a recognised link between the gut microbiome and your condition.

2. Conventional treatments have been tried and have failed or are unsuitable.

3. The ongoing lack of effective treatment is significantly impacting your quality of life.

Before a treatment appointment can be confirmed, all patients must undergo a pre-treatment screening assessment. Only patients who meet all safety criteria will proceed to treatment.

Assessment will follow these steps:

1. Book an appointment - You can enquire about FMT at Welbeck Digestive Health by contacting our team directly or through a referral from your GP or specialist. We also welcome self-referring patients.
   

2. Initial consultation – Your journey begins with a consultation with one of our specialist gastroenterology consultants. During this appointment, your full clinical history will be reviewed, including your diagnosis, previous treatments, current medications, allergies, and relevant comorbidities. Your consultant will assess whether FMT is clinically appropriate for your condition and discuss the potential benefits, risks, alternatives, and the compassionate use status of the therapy. If you’re suitable to proceed, you’ll be asked to provide written consent before moving to the screening stage.

3. Pre-treatment screening – A comprehensive screening assessment is carried out to confirm it’s safe for you to receive FMT and to establish a baseline picture of your gut microbiome.

This includes:

• stool gastrointestinal PCR panel to exclude active C. difficile infection

• carbapenemase-producing organism (MDRO) screen

• baseline blood panel (full blood count, kidney and liver function, CRP)

• home-based 16S rRNA GutID microbiome profiling test

Patients with active C. difficile infection or other acute conditions will be directed to the appropriate secondary care service and will not proceed with FMT treatment.

4. Clinical review and treatment decision – Once your screening results are available, your treating consultant will review all findings and confirm whether you meet the criteria to proceed. Your personalised dose plan will be agreed and your treatment appointment scheduled.

FMT at Welbeck Digestive Health is delivered as a straightforward outpatient procedure. There are no surgical incisions, no colonoscopy, and no nasogastric tube. Treatment is administered exclusively via oral capsule, making it one of the most comfortable and minimally disruptive ways to receive this therapy.

Before your appointment

A small amount of preparation is required before your treatment day to ensure the capsules work as effectively as possible and that you’re safe to proceed.

Your clinical team will review all medications you’re currently taking and advise you on which, if any, should be paused or continued in the lead-up to treatment. This is particularly important for antibiotics, proton pump inhibitors, and immunosuppressants, which can affect the gut environment and the viability of the donor microbiota. You’ll receive clear written instructions from the nursing team detailing exactly what to do.

You must fast for 4 hours before your scheduled appointment time. This helps ensure the correct gastric pH for capsule transit and maximises the likelihood that viable microbiota reach your intestine intact.

1 hour before your appointment, you’ll take a single dose of omeprazole (40mg), either provided by the clinic or prescribed in advance, to further reduce stomach acidity and protect the capsule coating during digestion.

On the day

On arrival, your nursing team will confirm your identity, review your consent, and check that you’ve followed the pre-treatment preparation. They’ll then record your baseline vital signs.

Our pharmacy will dispense your personalised course of Enterobiotix EBX-102 – a pharmaceutical-grade, freeze-dried oral capsule formulation containing rigorously screened donor microbiota. You’ll swallow 8 capsules with water under clinical supervision. The remaining 8 capsules will be dispensed for you to take at home as directed by your clinical team.

After you’ve taken the capsules

You’ll stay at the clinic for a 2-hour observation period. During this time, our nursing staff will monitor your vital signs at regular intervals and check for any immediate reactions such as nausea, abdominal discomfort, or allergic responses. The vast majority of patients tolerate the treatment well and are discharged on the same day.

As with any medical treatment, FMT carries some risks. At Welbeck Digestive Health, our comprehensive screening process, pharmaceutical-grade capsule formulation, and structured clinical governance are designed to minimise these risks as far as possible. 

Going home

Before you leave our centre, you’ll receive a discharge advice sheet covering what to expect in the days following treatment, red-flag symptoms to watch for, and direct contact details for the Welbeck Digestive Health nursing team.

You’ll also be given a home-based 16S rRNA GutID microbiome test kit to complete on day 7, so your clinical team can track how your microbiome is responding to treatment.

FMT at Welbeck Digestive Health includes a structured aftercare and follow-up programme as standard – our clinical team remains actively involved in monitoring your progress and safety at every stage.

Day 1 to 2 – early safety check

A member of the nursing team will contact you by phone within 72 hours of your treatment to check how you’re feeling. This call is designed to identify any early warning signs, such as fever, significant abdominal pain, vomiting, or symptoms of a new infection, and to ensure any concerns are addressed promptly.

Day 7 – follow-up review

You’ll have a phone review on day 7 to assess your symptoms, bowel habits, and overall response to treatment. You’ll also be asked to complete your home-based 16S rRNA GutID microbiome profiling test at this stage, which allows your clinical team to assess how your gut microbiome is responding to the transplant.

Day 90 – clinical outcome review

A further review will take place approximately 3 months post-treatment, either by phone or in person, depending on your clinical progress. This appointment assesses your longer-term response, monitors for any late adverse effects, and determines whether any further intervention or follow-up is needed.

Your consultant will ensure you’re fully informed of the potential side effects and complications before you give consent for treatment to begin.

Common side effects

Most patients experience only mild and short-lived symptoms in the days following treatment. These include:

• bloating

• flatulence

• abdominal discomfort or cramping

• loose stools or diarrhoea

• constipation

• nausea

These side effects are a normal part of the gut adjusting to the new microbiota and typically resolve within a few days without intervention. Your discharge advice sheet will clearly outline which symptoms are expected and which warrant immediate contact with the clinical team.

Our all-inclusive package for screening and treatment costs £7,500.

Some insurers cover FMT on a case-by-case basis. Please reach out to the team to discuss whether coverage may be available

At Welbeck, our gastroenterology specialists are experts in their field and are dedicated to providing world-class care to every patient.

With access to colleagues across other specialties, our consultants are also able to refer within the Welbeck ecosystem if required to ensure you receive the treatment you need as quickly as possible, all under one roof.  

All appointments, testing, treatment, and follow-up appointments take place within our state-of-the-art facilities, enabling us to deliver accurate diagnostics and advanced treatments.

We welcome referrals from GPs and gastroenterologists. You can also self-refer by booking an initial consultation through our Digestive Health team. Our clinical team review all cases individually and confirms suitability before proceeding, to ensure a smooth, hassle-free experience.

If you’d like to schedule a consultation with a Welbeck consultant, please get in touch to make an appointment. Your health is important to us, so we strive to offer same-day appointments whenever possible.

Our consultants are recognised by the major health insurance companies. If you have private health insurance, your treatment at Welbeck can begin once you have obtained authorisation. We also provide care to self-paying patients.