What are the IBD Standards and why do they matter?

The 2019 IBD Standards define what high-quality care for people with Crohn’s and Colitis should look like. They are a framework of statements, collaboratively produced by patients and professionals, and launched by IBD UK – a partnership of patient and professional organisations working together for everyone affected by Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

The below references information regarding the 2023 IBD UK Benchmarking, based on results from the Service Survey and IBD Patient Survey.

The IBD Standards say what high-quality, personalised care should look like at every point of the patient journey – from first symptoms, to treatment and ongoing care – and how IBD services need to be organised.

The IBD Benchmarking results – made up of the Service Survey and the IBD Patient Survey - aims to address variations in the quality and consistency of care people with Crohn’s and Colitis currently receive in the UK.

Over 14,000 patients across the UK completed the adult IBD Patient Survey and 63% of IBD services completed the Service Survey. 547 parents and children responded to the paediatric IBD patient survey and 52% of paediatric services completed the Service Survey. The combination of patient views and comparison against the IBD Standards provides a powerful and unique opportunity to push up standards of care for everyone with IBD.

IBD UK recognises that services across the UK are working hard to deliver consistent, high-quality care for people living with Crohn's and Colitis, and that this has been particularly difficult in the current landscape following the pandemic and with ongoing NHS pressures While variations currently exist, the IBD Benchmarking aims to help services to identify where resources should be directed in ongoing Quality Improvement, and to help show commitment to your patients’ views and needs, ensuring your patients benefit from a high-quality service.

IBD UK believes in an open, transparent approach to sharing successes while recognising where services need to focus on improvement, helping to build a strong relationship with patients who use IBD services. IBD UK believes that a partnership approach is fundamental for IBD services across the UK to meet the IBD Standards – everybody needs to be involved to make a difference.