Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common medical condition which is usually managed in primary care. In this podcast we interview Dr Kevin Barrett, chair of the Primary Care Society for Gastroenterology and discuss the diagnosis and management of IBS. The discussion will include when to suspect IBS, what tests need to be done routinely, management in primary care, how to explain a diagnosis of IBS to a patient and when to consider referral to secondary care.

Editorial and content decisions were made solely by the RCGP.

Reviewed: March 2026