The IBD Standards say what high-quality care should look like at every point of a patient’s journey – from first symptoms, to diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing care.
The aim of the IBD Standards is to remove variation in care. They’re designed to ensure that people with IBD receive safe, consistent, high-quality, personalised care, whatever their age and wherever they live in the UK. We want to encourage healthcare services to recognise what they are doing well and identify where they need to improve.
Explore the 7 sections of the IBD Standards in more detail below, you can download a full copy of the IBD Standards here.
Section 1: The IBD service
Everyone living with Inflammatory Bowel Disease should have safe, consistent, high quality, personalised care. A well-organised and managed local Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) service is essential to delivering this.
Section 2: Pre-diagnosis
Everyone with IBD should receive an early and accurate diagnosis of their condition. This will mean they get the treatment and support they need sooner and be better able to manage their condition.
Section 3: Newly diagnosed
It’s essential to get the right treatment and support in place for newly diagnosed patients with IBD. This will give them the best outcomes and help them adjust to living with the condition.
Section 4: Flare management
When people with IBD experience a flare, they must be able recognise it – and access the right specialist advice and treatment to manage it as quickly as possible.
Section 5: Surgery
Patient outcomes are better when IBD surgery is timely, led by surgeons with the right expertise, and with effective multidisciplinary working. It’s important that patients fully understand their options and are offered psychological support.
Section 6: Inpatient care
For the best outcomes and experience, inpatients with IBD should be admitted to a specialist ward with appropriate facilities and specialist review. They should receive a holistic assessment and be offered appropriate services and support as a result. On discharge, they should have clear information and coordination of care.
Section 7: Ongoing care & monitoring
As IBD is a fluctuating, lifelong condition, people need ongoing care to live well with their condition. A personalised care plan will empower patients, support self-management and help primary and secondary care communicate effectively.