A new survey¹ conducted by the patient charity, Crohn’s and Colitis UK, has found that 100,000² patients in the UK with Inflammatory Bowel Disease(IBD) don’t have access to adequate care. IBD Nurses are instrumental in improving the quality of life for patients with IBD³ as well as helping to cut significant costs to the NHS, yet many health services are not offering the recommended nursing level.

Local AM Paul Davies said, “People living with IBD in Pembrokeshire deserve access to the indispensable services and support provided by specialist IBD nurses, particularly as they are proven to improve quality of life. I want to see more specialist IBD nurses locally to ensure that my constituents have access to the crucial care they both need and deserve.”

On World IBD Day, 19 May 2016, Crohn’s and Colitis UK will mobilise patients to share the survey findings with their local hospital management, along with their valued personal experiences of the IBD nurse service. The charity is also asking hospital chiefs and IBD teams to work directly with the charity to support the delivery of more IBD nurses locally, as well as working with IBD nurses and Gastroenterologists to provide new resources that can facilitate job and business planning for health service development.

Dr Ann McMahon from the Royal College of nursing said; “Specialist IBD Nurses have been praised for the invaluable support and expertise they provide to improve patients’ quality of life, giving them more control over their treatment. We would welcome more specialist nurses to reach those who currently don’t have access to the care they deserve.”