Dr Iona Bell
Qualifications
PhD, MRCP
GMC number: 4653237
Practising since: 1999
Specialties
Gastroenterology
Consultation times
- Wednesday PM
- Overview
About
Dr Bell is a Consultant Gastroenterologist and General Physician who specialises in the diagnosis and management of diseases affecting the oesophagus, stomach, and small and large bowel. She offers diagnostic and therapeutic upper and lower gastrointestinal endoscopy.
Dr Bell was born and brought up in East Africa prior to attending secondary school in the Lake District. She completed her medical school training at Imperial College School of Medicine in 1999, having undertaken a BSc in Immunology and Cell Pathology at University College London. After qualifying, she worked in West London, Bristol and Goucerter before starting her specialist training in Gastroenterology in London and Kent. She spent five years completing a PhD researching the immunology of the gut in health and in inflammatory bowel disease.
She was appointed a Consultant and the Nutrition Lead at the Tunbridge Wells Hospital in 2019. She is the Champion of Less Than Full Time (LTFT) Trainees at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells providing support to junior doctors balancing home and work life by training less than full time. She was recently appointed as the LTFT Trainee Representative for the British Society of Gastroenterology.
Having raised five daughters whilst training and undertaken a PhD, she understands the importance of operating at an optimal level in order to live a fulfilled life. She understands the distress that daily symptoms can bring and takes a holistic approach to the many factors causing heartburn, bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhoea and constipation.
She enjoys cycling and skiing, and more recently kitesurfing with her family.
Special interests
She has a special interest in in seeing patients with heartburn, indigestion, abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhoea and constipation and the role that diet and the gut/ brain axis can contribute to symptoms. |
Treatments and tests offered by Dr Iona Bell at Nuffield Health
- Gastroesophageal
- Colonoscopy
- Flexible sigmoidoscopy
- Gastroscopy (or gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy)
- Diagnostic endoscopy
- Gastrointestinal tract
Related experience
Research
The opposing roles of IL-21 and TGFβ1
in chronic inflammatory bowel disease.
Biochem Soc Trans. 2011
Aug;39(4):1061-6. doi: 10.1042/BST0391061.PMID: 21787348 Review.
Probiotics and the immune response to vaccines.Proc Nutr Soc. 2010 Aug;69(3):442-6. doi: 10.1017/S0029665110001758. Epub 2010 Jun 14.PMID: 20540823
Primary peritoneal mesothelioma: case series and literature review. Clin Res Hepatol Gastroenterol. 2011 Jan;35(1):55-9. doi: 10.1016/j.gcb.2010.07.016.PMID: 20833490 Review
Memberships
- Royal College of Physicians
- British Association of Parental and Enteral Nutrition
- British Association of Parental and Enteral Nutrition
- United European Gastroenterology
Other posts held
- Consultant Gastroenterologist and General Physician and Nutrition Lead.
Insurers Dr Iona Bell works with
Dr Iona Bell works with the following private medical insurance providers:
- Aviva Health
- Healix
Declaration
Dr Iona Bell does not hold a share or financial interest in this hospital, another Nuffield Health hospital or the company.
Dr Iona Bell does not have a share or financial interest in equipment used at this hospital or another Nuffield Health hospital.
Dr Iona Bell does not hold any paid advisory role(s) at this hospital or on behalf of Nuffield Health.