If you have used Badger Notes at a different trust or in a previous pregnancy, please see "Adding your pregnancy to an existing account" section below. 

You will need:

• The passphrase given to you by your midwife or booking clerk.
• Your mobile phone to receive your verification text. 

To create your account: 

1. Open Bader Notes app and tap "Crease account."
2. Agree to the terms and conditions if you are happy to.
3. Enter the email address you gave to the midwife or booking clerk and use the activation phrase given to you.
4. You will be asked how you would like to register. Please register with Badger Notes. We do not recommend registering with NHS login.
5. Enter the verification code you received via text. 
6. Create your password.
7. Create your PIN. 

You can change you Badger Notes language through the tab with your current chosen language:

1. Tap/click on the three lines at the top left of the screen.
2. Tap on English (this is selected as the default).
3. Select the language you require.
4. Tap continue. 

You will need:

• A new activation phrase from your midwife or booking clerk

To add your pregnancy: 

1. Log in with the same details used in your previous Badger Notes account.
2. Tap on the three lines on the top left of the screen.
3. Select Add a care record.
4. Add new activation phrase provided by your midwife.
5. Your current pregnancy is now added to your old record.

You will have the opportunity to complete your pre-booking questionnaire before your booking appointment with your community midwife. You can return to the questionnaire and update up to the day of your booking appointment. 

You can change your phone number or email address associated with your Badger Notes log in through the Edit Profile tab.

(This does not update the phone number or email address that the hospital has on record for you, to do this you will need to speak to your community midwife). 

Your care provider may ask you for key details such as your hospital number, if you contact them over the phone. 

The key details are:

• Your key information, e.g. NHS number, hospital number, due date etc.
• Your circle of care, for example GP and Named Midwife. 
• General health history.
• Medical history.
• Plan of care for your pregnancy.
• Current management plan(s).

To find these details:

1. Tap on the Maternity Record tab at the bottom of the app.
2. Select My Key Details.

We recommend you have push notifications switched on to allow appointment reminders and important updates from our maternity unit.

To change notification settings:

1. Tap on the three lines on the top left of the screen.
2. Select Settings.
3. Enable or disable the options and save.
4. Notifications can be found in the bell icon on the top right corner of the Care Plan page.

In the Care Plan tab, you can see a weekly summary of your pregnancy.

For example at 28 weeks, you will be offered routine screening blood tests and recommended to read the information leaflet on screening.

You will be able to:

• Write some thoughts (only visible to you) into the diary by selecting Add photo or diary entry.
• Upload an image for your own purposes (this is not visible to your maternity staff).

In the conversations tab, you can:

• Write antenatal, postnatal and birth plan thoughts and notes to speak with your midwife or doctor about at your next appointment.

Your midwife or doctor will be able to see these notes however they will not be notified of an entry therefore it is very important not to put any urgent messages in this area.

A summary of your maternity notes can be found within the Maternity Record tab. 

To view your antenatal care summary:

1. Tap on the maternity record tab and scroll down to the summary
2. Scroll to the row you would like to view.
3. Click to open and scroll to view the details. 

You may need to turn your phone landscape to make viewing easier.

Our hospital maternity leaflets are available in the Badger Notes Library tab. 

These can be viewed throughout your pregnancy and after birth.

You can also access the Glossary to help you understand any new medical terms you may see in your notes.

Leaflets which have been specifically recommended to you by your midwife or doctor can be found by:

1. Tapping on the Care Plan tab.
2. Tap on recommended reading at the top of the page.

To view your hospital contacts, including emergency phone numbers:

1. Tap on the three lines on the top left of the screen.
2. Select the Hospital Contacts tab.

Lead Research Nurse

Sam currently works as the Lead Research Nurse for the Surgery Research team overseeing Colorectal, UGI and Vascular Research at Southmead Hospital, managing a team of 6 competent research practitioners. Having qualified in 2000 as a Children’s Nurse, she began her career working in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at Bristol Children’s Hospital where she worked for 7 years. She then moved and worked for 4 years on a busy Surgical and Trauma ward.  

After seeing an advert for the opportunity of a research nurse post at led jointly with NBT (North Bristol Trust) and UoB (University of Bristol) working with Children and their families researching into the risk of developing Type 1 diabetes she jumped at the chance for a new challenge. She spent 9 years in this post working her way up, initially as a junior nurse band 5 to a senior nurse band 7 role where she then led the team and managed the research project. This came to an end in 2020 when the study funding finished.

Sam was then offered the opportunity of a completely new role and challenge within NBT as the Senior Research Nurse for Surgery. This involved putting together smaller teams within different areas of Surgery research bringing them together as one team. This has been a success; the team has grown and consists of dedicated research nurses and administrators and is still growing! We have opened and reopened many studies across all the areas which are recruiting well.

Sam has lots of plans to extend this over time and build a bigger team to be able to cover more areas of surgery in the future.

Consultant Vascular Surgeon

Dr Marcus Brooks is a Consultant Vascular Surgeon at North Bristol NHS Trust, Honorary Secretary elect for the Vascular Society of Great Britain and Ireland, and clinical member of NHSE Specialised Services Vascular Clinical Reference Group. His main clinical interest is in the management of aortic disease, including complex endovascular repair of aortic aneurysms and aortic dissection. 

He is also the Principal Investigator for the EXcel Registry (Gore Conformable aortic stent graft) in the UK and also recruits to the COMPASS trial (Observational study of patients with juxta-renal abdominal aortic aneurysms).

Vascular Surgeon

Chris is a vascular surgeon in Bristol and is clinical lead for vascular research. He has a research interest in amputation, chronic limb threatening ischaemia and antithrombotic therapy for peripheral arterial disease. He is an associate editor of CVIR endovascular and is on the editorial board of the European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery. He is a council member of the British Society for Endovascular Therapy where he is research lead, the Vascular Society special interest research group for peripheral arterial disease where he is intervention lead, and the European Society of Vascular Surgery guidelines steering committee where he is chair of the upcoming antithrombotic guideline. He has published over 100 original papers and his scientific work has received several prizes.

More information about Chris and his work can be found on the University of Bristol website.

Vascular Research Nurse

Helen is a senior research nurse specialising in vascular. She has worked for North Bristol NHS Trust since 2015. Prior to this Helen was a key member of the intensive care team at the Bristol Royal Infirmary, where she worked as a senior nurse for sixteen years.

Helen has extensive experience, spanning multiple studies and specialties, delivering ground-breaking research. She ran gastro-hepatology research for two years, before moving to lead the vascular portfolio in 2017. Under Helen’s leadership, the vascular portfolio has grown exponentially.

Helen welcomes the challenges research presents as a continuously growing field. It can enable patients to participate in adjustments that result in a longer, better quality of life.  She enjoys working at the forefront of new developments in treatments for our patients.

Vascular Research Nurse

Seeve is a surgical research nurse specializing in Vascular research and two colorectal research as well as helping with the AHEAD study - Preclinical Alzheimer's Disease with Elevated Amyloid. Prior to this, Seeve was an ITU nurse, a Renal dialysis nurse, a Research nurse for AVONCAP-COVID-19, pneumococcus, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and a Haematology Research Nurse.

Surgery Research Nurse

Gosia is a research nurse in vascular surgery team. She has worked for North Bristol Trust since 2020 in Intensive Care Unit and in HIV and Immunology Research team.

Prior to this Gosia worked as a nurse in Intensive Care Units in Royal Papworth Hospital, Yeovil District Hospital and Specialised District Hospital in Wroclaw, Poland.

Research Administrator - Colorectal & Vascular

Consultant Colorectal Surgeon

Anne was appointed consultant colorectal surgeon at North Bristol NHS Trust in 2003 and has held many leadership positions within the trust including chair of the clinical risk committee, Clinical Director for Surgery and lead for colorectal and emergency surgery. Anne performs open and laparoscopic bowel (keyhole) surgery and has an interest in bowel cancer, surgical infections, vacuum dressing for the open abdomen and emergency surgery.  She was awarded an MD for laboratory-based research from University of London examining the role of monoclonal antibodies in colorectal cancer. She was principal investigator for CREST, PPAC2, Bluebelle, Selfi and DISCOVER. She is currently PI for VODECA, CREST2 and CONSIDER-19 and sits on the trial management group for CREST2.

Consultant Colorectal Surgeon

Miss Kathryn McCarthy studied at UCL (1993-1998), attained her MD with the University of London (2005), following which she completed her FRCS at Royal College of Surgeons of England (2007), and her Gynaecological Fellowship (2009) and Laparoscopic Subspecialty Fellowship in Glasgow (2011-12).

Her clinical interests include laparoscopic colorectal surgery, endometriosis and pelvic surgery. Her academic interests include the IGF pathway in colorectal cancer and surgical outcomes in older people (OPSOC.eu). Her subspecialty interests include minimally invasive trans anal surgery, early rectal cancer and pelvic floor surgery.

She is clinical lead for Endoscopy and GI physiology. Nationally, she is the NIHR lead for surgical research (West of England).

She is also a member of The Royal College of Surgeons of England, National Pelvic Floor Society and European Society of Coloproctology.

Consultant Colorectal Surgeon

Miss Ann Lyons was appointed as a consultant colorectal surgeon at North Bristol Trust in 2005. Prior to joining North Bristol NHS Trust, Ann was a fellow at international centres of St Marks Hospital, London and Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto expanding her management of complex pelvic conditions. Graduated with Hons, Surg and Antomy Medal Ann completed by Higher Surgical Training in the South West Deanery, centred on Bristol. During her Higher Surgical Training, she had valuable out of training experience, educated with Professor Hohenberger in colon and rectum cancer surgery and Prof Matzel in pelvic floor disorders, in the University of Erlangen. She has actively engaged programmes for cancer patient communication,  including in the NCAT cancer care programme 2013.

Within this experience Ann has developed a holistic approach to cancer care, and a specialty interest in delivering safe careful pelvic surgery for regional patients; and surgery for early and advanced cancer. I have extensive experience in minimally invasive surgery.

Ann has clinical, educational and research experience. Awarded MD for her bench to bed side T cell immune response to major stresses, Harvard Medical School and since appointment has been PI for several clinical research trials at North Bristol NHS Trust. Ann has presented both nationally and internationally.  Ann is the lead surgeon for Colon and Rectum Cancer at North Bristol. She has a position on the SWAG CAG Colorectal Cancer Alliance.

Miss Ann Lyon is a member of RCSE, ACPGBI, ESCP, ASCRS and RSM.

Colorectal Surgeon 

Colorectal Surgeon 

Colorectal Research Nurse

Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeon

Colorectal Research Nurse

Suzanna is a research nurse specialising in colorectal research, and has worked for North Bristol Trust since 2023. Prior to this, Suzanna worked at Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust (SASH) across both elective and emergency surgical wards, for upper and lower gastrointestinal surgery. She is passionate about improving patient outcomes and patient experience, and therefore finds her role in colorectal research highly rewarding.

Consultant Vascular Surgeon

Dr Marcus Brooks is a Consultant Vascular Surgeon at North Bristol NHS Trust, Honorary Secretary elect for the Vascular Society of Great Britain and Ireland, and clinical member of NHSE Specialised Services Vascular Clinical Reference Group. His main clinical interest is in the management of aortic disease, including complex endovascular repair of aortic aneurysms and aortic dissection. 

He is also the Principal Investigator for the EXcel Registry (Gore Conformable aortic stent graft) in the UK and also recruits to the COMPASS trial (Observational study of patients with juxta-renal abdominal aortic aneurysms).

Vascular Surgeon

Chris is a vascular surgeon in Bristol and is clinical lead for vascular research. He has a research interest in amputation, chronic limb threatening ischaemia and antithrombotic therapy for peripheral arterial disease. He is an associate editor of CVIR endovascular and is on the editorial board of the European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery. He is a council member of the British Society for Endovascular Therapy where he is research lead, the Vascular Society special interest research group for peripheral arterial disease where he is intervention lead, and the European Society of Vascular Surgery guidelines steering committee where he is chair of the upcoming antithrombotic guideline. He has published over 100 original papers and his scientific work has received several prizes.

More information about Chris and his work can be found on the University of Bristol website.

Vascular Research Nurse

Helen is a senior research nurse specialising in vascular. She has worked for North Bristol NHS Trust since 2015. Prior to this Helen was a key member of the intensive care team at the Bristol Royal Infirmary, where she worked as a senior nurse for sixteen years.

Helen has extensive experience, spanning multiple studies and specialties, delivering ground-breaking research. She ran gastro-hepatology research for two years, before moving to lead the vascular portfolio in 2017. Under Helen’s leadership, the vascular portfolio has grown exponentially.

Helen welcomes the challenges research presents as a continuously growing field. It can enable patients to participate in adjustments that result in a longer, better quality of life.  She enjoys working at the forefront of new developments in treatments for our patients.

Vascular Research Nurse

Seeve is a surgical research nurse specializing in Vascular research and two colorectal research as well as helping with the AHEAD study - Preclinical Alzheimer's Disease with Elevated Amyloid. Prior to this, Seeve was an ITU nurse, a Renal dialysis nurse, a Research nurse for AVONCAP-COVID-19, pneumococcus, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and a Haematology Research Nurse.

Lead Research Nurse

Sam currently works as the Lead Research Nurse for the Surgery Research team overseeing Colorectal, UGI and Vascular Research at Southmead Hospital, managing a team of 6 competent research practitioners. Having qualified in 2000 as a Children’s Nurse, she began her career working in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at Bristol Children’s Hospital where she worked for 7 years. She then moved and worked for 4 years on a busy Surgical and Trauma ward.  

After seeing an advert for the opportunity of a research nurse post at led jointly with NBT (North Bristol Trust) and UoB (University of Bristol) working with Children and their families researching into the risk of developing Type 1 diabetes she jumped at the chance for a new challenge. She spent 9 years in this post working her way up, initially as a junior nurse band 5 to a senior nurse band 7 role where she then led the team and managed the research project. This came to an end in 2020 when the study funding finished.

Sam was then offered the opportunity of a completely new role and challenge within NBT as the Senior Research Nurse for Surgery. This involved putting together smaller teams within different areas of Surgery research bringing them together as one team. This has been a success; the team has grown and consists of dedicated research nurses and administrators and is still growing! We have opened and reopened many studies across all the areas which are recruiting well.

Sam has lots of plans to extend this over time and build a bigger team to be able to cover more areas of surgery in the future.

Surgery Research Nurse

Gosia is a research nurse in vascular surgery team. She has worked for North Bristol Trust since 2020 in Intensive Care Unit and in HIV and Immunology Research team.

Prior to this Gosia worked as a nurse in Intensive Care Units in Royal Papworth Hospital, Yeovil District Hospital and Specialised District Hospital in Wroclaw, Poland.

Research Administrator - Colorectal & Vascular

• White flour: cornflour, custard powder, arrowroot, tapioca, sago, semolina. 
• White pasta: spaghetti, macaroni, other pasta shapes and noodles, tinned spaghetti in sauce. 
• White breads: pitta bread, soda bread, naan bread. (Except high fibre white breads). 
• White rice: any types. 
• Potatoes: peeled or cooked in any way but don’t eat the skin. 
• Fruit and tomato juice. 
• Breakfast cereals: cornflakes, Rice Krispies, Frosties*, Honey Smacks*, Ricicles*, Coco Pops*, Special K. 
• Biscuits*: any made with white flour e.g. rich tea. 
• Cakes*: any made with white flour e.g. sponge, plain scones, doughnuts. 
• Milk, plain yoghurt, all cheese, cream, butter, ice cream, plain fromage frais. 
• Eggs. 
• Fish. 
• Texturised vegetable protein (e.g. Quorn). 
• All oils, margarine, low fat spread, and butter. 
• All drinks including tea, coffee, squash, fizzy drinks, cocoa, drinking chocolate, malted drinks. 
• Sugar*, golden syrup*, treacle*, honey*, fruit sweets*, choco-toffee*, jelly jam*, jelly marmalade*, jelly*, fruit sorbets*. 
• All meat including tinned and corned.

• Wholemeal, brown, rye flours and bran. 
• All wholemeal pasta including spinach flavoured, lasagna verdi, wholemeal spaghetti in sauce.
• Wholemeal, brown, granary, high-fibre white, malt breads, poppadums and wholemeal pitta breads.
• Wholegrain rice, wild rice, and barley. 
• All other vegetables including baked beans, other pulses, tinned tomato, crisps, potato snacks.
• Breakfast cereals: Shredded Wheat, Shreddies, Bran Flakes, All Bran, Alpen and other muesli, Farmhouse Bran, Oat Crunchies, Start, Ready Brek, porridge, and oatmeal. 
• Cakes: made with wholemeal flours including pastries, pies, and wholemeal crumbles. 
• All fruit including fresh, frozen, stewed, canned, and dried e.g. raisins and currants. 
• Fruit, muesli, and nut yoghurts. 
• All nuts and seeds, including peanut butter, hummus, tahini, marzipan.
• All dietary supplements that come as a tablet e.g. vitamins, glucosamine, and herbal extracts. 
• All alcoholic drinks. 
• Sweet mincemeat, jam with seeds, ordinary marmalade, chocolate made fruit and nuts, fruit in jelly.
• Meat pies, pasties, puddings if made with wholemeal flour. 
• Meat dishes which contain vegetables e.g. curries, casseroles, chilli-con-carne.

A CT scanner machine uses ionising radiation (X-rays), and a computer to produce very detailed cross-sectional images of any part of the body. The information is built up into a series of pictures for the radiologist to view.

CT virtual colonoscopy is different from other CT scans because carbon dioxide is used to inflate the colon (large bowel), via a thin flexible tube that is inserted into the back passage (anus). The CT scanner the puts together a detailed 3D model of the colon, which the radiologist uses to view the bowel in a way that simulates travelling through the bowel. This is why the procedure is called a virtual colonoscopy.

At the same time, 2D images of the colon, abdomen, and pelvis are taken without any additional radiation.

The alternative way of looking at the large bowel is endoscopy. Endoscopy involves using a tube with a camera on the end (colonoscope) which is passed into the back passage, an moved up and around the bowel. Although it doesn‘t use radiation, it is more invasive than a virtual colonoscopy and usually requires sedation. However, it does allow for a biopsy or removal of small polyps at the same time.

• We will send you a special medicine before the scan. Please mix this with water and follow the instructions given to you on a separate leaflet. This medicine may cause diarrhoea, which is required to empty the bowel. It also coats the lining of the bowel so we can see it on the scan. 
• You will also be given a separate leaflet with what foods you can and cannot eat. Please follow these instructions carefully.
• Please drink plenty of water over the 2 days before the scan. 
• If you are diabetic and have received an afternoon appointment, please let us know. Morning appointments are available to ensure you can follow the preparation safely.

• The Radiology department assistant will explain the process and ask you to change into a hospital gown. You will then be taken into the scan room where the radiographer will again explain and answer any questions.
• A small cannula will be put into your arm so that a muscle relaxant can be injected. This drug is used to relax the involuntary muscles of your bowel to reduce discomfort and decrease bowel movement on the scan.
• You will be asked to roll onto your side and a small flexible tube (around the width of a pencil and 2 inches in length) will be inserted into your back passage. A lubricant is used to ease this process.
• Carbon dioxide gas will then be passed through the tube and into the large bowel for the duration of the examination to maintain inflation. You will be asked to move into different positions on the scanning table (on your front, back and sides) and several scans will be taken.
• The radiographers will check the quality of the images and ensure they have all the information required from each position. Occasionally, more information may be required, and the scan will also include your chest. A contrast dye will be inserted into your cannula during the scan if this is required.
• During the scan you will be asked to hold your breath and retain the gas as much as possible whilst the table moves slowly. You will move in and out several times. Occasionally, a contrast dye may be given through the cannula and the scan to provide more information.
• The whole examination will take around 30 minutes and is very clean. A small balloon on the tube keeps the tube in place and any faeces (poo) left inside you will go down the tube. You will not be given sedation for this examination.
• Once all the images are taken the tube will be gently removed. You will then be taken into a joining room where there is a toilet and your clothes to get dressed. The team will talk to you before you go to ensure you feel ok.

You may eat and drink as normal. Please drink plenty of water as the bowel preparation medicine may dehydrate you. 

The carbon dioxide gas will naturally be absorbed by the body and the bloated feeling will subside quickly once you have passed wind and used the toilet. 

The radiologist will examine the images in detail and send the written results to the consultant or GP that referred you for the scan. You will get your results from that doctor.

A CT scan involves the use of ionising radiation (X-rays); we are all exposed to natural background radiation every day from radioactivity in the air, food that we eat and even from space.

Exposure to ionising radiation from a CT scan carries a small risk, however, the main benefit of having the scan is to get an accurate diagnosis so that you can get the right treatment for you. A specialist will have agreed that the benefit, of the scan, outweighs the risk of the ionising radiation and we can assure you that all safeguarding to minimise ionising radiation exposure is taken.

If there is a possibility that you may be pregnant, then please contact the radiology department prior to the scan.

During the CT virtual colonoscopy, you may experience abdominal discomfort and bloating, this is normal but if it becomes too painful then please let the radiographer know. Once the scan is complete you could become faint when sitting up, however, the team follow several steps to limit.

There is a very small risk that inflating your bowel with air could cause injury to or perforation of the bowel, however, this occurs in fewer than 1 in 10,000 patients. This will, in most cases, heal itself, however, may require medical assistance or antibiotics.

If you have had the injection of muscle relaxant, you may experience a dry mouth and blurred vision. The latter is very rare, but if it does happen, it will wear off within 30 minutes but please do not drive until your vision is back to normal. Please let the radiographer know if you suffer from angina, any heart problems or glaucoma.

Some patients may require an injection of contrast medium, also described as X-ray dye, for their scan which increases the amount of information seen on the scan. There is a small chance of an allergic reaction to the injection of contrast medium, however, the Imaging team are trained to deal with any complication, and again the risk is very small. The Imaging team will make sure you are feeling alright and have recovered before letting you leave the department.

CT Colonography or Virtual Colonoscopy

National Health Service: Your CT scan: 
Available from CT scan - NHS [Accessed on July 2022]

United States Food and Drug Administration: Computed Tomography (CT).
Available from Computed Tomography (CT) | FDA [Accessed July 2022]

Computed Tomography (CT or CAT scan) Procedures

Radiation Dose from X-Ray and CT Exams