Crohn’s and Colitis patients failing to receive urgent specialist hospital care

Over half of GPs are unable to get urgent specialist care for their patients in the event of a relapse, as required by new IBD Standards. 

A coalition of influential patient and professional organisations is calling for improved integration between GPs and their local hospitals, in line with new standards recommending that GPs have their patients seen in secondary care within seven days, in the event of a relapse of their patient’s Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis. 

The revised ‘Standards for the Healthcare of People who have Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)’,  launched today, have been produced by Crohn’s and Colitis UK, the British Society of Gastroenterology, Primary Care Society of Gastroenterology, the Royal College of Nursing Gastrointestinal Nursing Forum) and other leading organisations. 

A coalition of influential patient and professional organisations is calling for improved integration between GPs and their local hospitals, in line with new standards recommending that GPs have their patients seen in secondary care within seven days, in the event of a relapse of their patient’s Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis. 

The revised ‘Standards for the Healthcare of People who have Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)’, 

launched today, have been produced by Crohn’s and Colitis UK, the British Society of Gastroenterology, Primary Care Society of Gastroenterology, the Royal College of Nursing Gastrointestinal Nursing Forum) and other leading organisations. 

IBD Standards Group Chair and Crohn’s and Colitis UK Chief Executive David Barker said today: “A 

person experiencing a flare up deserves the best care possible in the shortest time, but rapid access to specialist care and shared care arrangements are two of the essential elements of IBD care that require further improvement. 

I am hopeful that the revised edition of the Standards will renew the focus of clinicians and GPs on providing a joined-up, high quality service with rapid access to specialist care for all those in the UK with IBD.” 

The IBD Standards mandate core aspects of good quality care including dedicated gastrointestinal wards, multidisciplinary team working, shared care arrangements between primary and secondary care and key assessment and monitoring practices and essential aspects of clinical research and audit required. 

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Read more about the IBD Standards at www.IBDStandards.co.uk