Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a term mainly used to describe two conditions: ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Both conditions are long-term conditions that involve inflammation of the gut.
Our Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) service aims to provide patients with information and support, while providing prompt access to specialist advice, care and treatment. We work with you to help find treatment that keeps your condition in remission.
The IBD team is comprised of members from different specialist backgrounds who work together to deliver the best possible care for our patients. Some of these are gastroenterologists, IBD specialist nurses, surgeons, dieticians, stoma care nurses, pharmacists and administrative staff.
IBD specialist nurses see patients in hospital and clinic settings and their main aims are to support you and your family at the time of diagnosis and provide ongoing support.
The IBD specialist nurses work closely with the gastroenterology consultants and other members of the multidisciplinary team to manage patients. They will:
- Review patients in clinic and ward settings to assess disease activity and response to medications, prescribe, change treatment where necessary and provide ongoing support and advice.
- Provide advice over the phone or by email, to patients and colleagues
- Assess, monitor and support patients receiving disease modifying and biologic therapies
- Refer to and liaise with other healthcare professionals as required
- Provide education and training for other healthcare professionals
- Recognise the psychological effects of IBD, signposting you to wellbeing services if required
- Provide a link between hospital and community service.
The IBD specialist nurses aim to deliver a continually evolving service for inpatients and outpatients, who suffer with Inflammatory Bowel Disease and strive to achieve the national IBD standards.
The IBD team work with the IBD Patient Panel to ensure that we continually assess the service provided, so that we can improve the service and care we provide to patients with IBD.