With the north of Scotland having the highest reported incidence of both Crohn’s disease and colitis in the UK, NHS Highland and another Scottish health board were recently chosen to work with the charity Crohn’s and Colitis UK on using the results of a national inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) audit to improve care.
We were chosen not only because of the high incidence in the area but because as a team we are already at the forefront of innovative work with research and technology and have a good relationship with the local Crohn’s and Colitis UK Highlands and Islands Support Group.
As well as providing a nurse-led IBD clinic three times a week we now have a joint weekly clinic which is led by consultant gastroenterologist Lindsay Potts, specialist gastroenterology dietician Lisa Macleman and myself.
For more severe cases at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness our Infusion Suite provides high-level biological therapy and iron infusion. While patients get their treatments we have the opportunity for face-to-face education and counselling, which can make a vast difference to patients’ quality of life.
We are also trying different approaches to help our patients manage their symptoms long term. There is a telephone advice line for patients, carers, and health professionals. Our research colleaugues are piloting the use of smartphone technology to track patients’ daily health, and we are using other methods such as mindfulness and psychology.
Dave Armour,
NHS Highland IBD lead clinical nurse specialist
Patients who have these conditions recognise the benefit of seeing a dietitian as research about food and IBD is often conflicting. My role is to promote evidence-based research on food, health and disease and translate this into practical guidance to enable patients to make appropriate lifestyle and food choices.
A significant number of patients with IBD have or are at risk of developing malnutrition. We are working to ensure that all IBD patients admitted to hospital have access to a dietitian even if they are not on the gastroenterology ward.
Lisa Macleman
NHS Highland’s ‘Who We Are’ Twitter account – @NHSHWhoWeAre - this week has the IBD/gastroenterology team members tweeting about the condition and their roles. The team also has a resource website available to both members of the public.
