Change in bowel habit
A change in bowel habit means a lasting change in how often you poo or how your stools look, which should always be checked. Read more about change in bowel habit →
If symptoms are sudden, severe or getting worse, contact your GP or NHS 111.
Where are you up to?
The NHS reports waiting times by specialty, not by individual condition, so this is the gastroenterology wait (not specific to change in bowel habit), updated August 2026. Enter a postcode to see the hospitals near you.
gastroenterology waiting times by hospital
| Trust | Location | Typical wait |
|---|---|---|
| South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust | Sunderland | 4 weeks |
| Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust | Gateshead | 5 weeks |
| Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | Cambridge | 6 weeks |
| East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust | Blackburn with Darwen | 6 weeks |
| Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust | Cornwall | 6 weeks |
| Whittington Health NHS Trust | Islington | 6 weeks |
| South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | Middlesbrough | 6 weeks |
| Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust | Wakefield | 7 weeks |
About change in bowel habit
A change in bowel habit means a lasting change in how often you go to the toilet or in how your stools look, such as new constipation, looser or more frequent stools, or needing to go more urgently. It is very common and usually has a cause that is not serious, such as diet, medicines or a condition like irritable bowel syndrome, but because several things can cause it, the first step is usually to find out why.
How it is treated
Treatment depends entirely on the cause, so the early steps are about narrowing it down. A GP may ask about your diet and symptoms, examine you, and arrange blood or stool tests, and may refer you for a closer look at the bowel with a camera test (colonoscopy). Once the cause is clear, many changes in bowel habit are managed with diet, fluids and medicines aimed at the particular diagnosis.
After treatment
What happens next depends on what is found. Many people settle with changes to diet and lifestyle, or with medicine for their diagnosis, and symptoms that come and go can usually be kept under control. Keeping a food and symptom diary can help you and your doctor spot patterns, and it is worth going back if symptoms change or do not improve as expected.
Sources: NHS: Constipation, NHS: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Last updated October 2026.
What happens next with change in bowel habit
The usual steps, from seeing your GP to recovery, and the questions people ask at each one.
Before referral
Who should I see?
See your GP about a lasting change in your bowel habit. They can examine you, arrange blood or stool tests, and refer you for a closer look if needed. Your NHS waiting time starts once a hospital receives a referral.
Source: NHS, Colonoscopy
How do I get referred?
Ask your GP to refer you to a gastroenterology service. For most planned care you have a legal right to choose which hospital, including one with a shorter wait.
Source: NHS, Your choices in the NHS
Having tests
What is a colonoscopy?
It’s a camera test that looks inside the bowel to find the cause, usually with medicine to help you relax, and you follow instructions to empty the bowel first.
Source: NHS, Colonoscopy
How long do results take?
Some are given on the day, others follow by letter or at a follow-up. Ask the hospital.
Source: NHS, Going into hospital
Your specialist appointment
What happens at the appointment?
A specialist reviews your symptoms and tests, examines you, and talks through which tests would help.
Source: NHS, Going into hospital
Will I have tests?
You may be offered a colonoscopy, a camera test that looks inside the bowel.
Source: NHS, Colonoscopy
On treatment
What happens after the tests?
Once the cause is clear, many bowel symptoms are managed with diet changes and medicines, and your specialist explains the plan.
Source: NHS, Colonoscopy
What should I plan for the test?
A colonoscopy usually needs a day off, and you’ll need someone to take you home if you have sedation.
Source: NHS, Colonoscopy
General information only, not medical advice. Wait or Pay is independent and is not the NHS. Your GP decides what care, if any, you need.