This election provides a real opportunity for us to advocate for the 500,000 people in the UK living with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and raise awareness of the issues that matter to you. At Crohn’s & Colitis UK, we want to make sure that your needs are heard and recognised by the thousands of Parliamentary candidates standing across the UK.
We’re also going to need your help, to ensure that the next UK Government commits to making significant improvements in the diagnosis, care, and support of people with Crohn’s and Colitis.
Here are the key areas that we will be calling on the next UK Government to focus on:
1. Early Diagnosis
We know that delays in diagnosis are affecting people with Crohn’s and Colitis, leading to worse health outcomes, and costing the NHS more money. The next UK Government needs to support a new national diagnostic pathway, so that people with IBD can receive a diagnosis and start treatment without long delays.
Early diagnosis is essential to improve outcomes and quality of life for people with IBD.
2. Better Care
Even after receiving a diagnosis, we know that a lot of people with Inflammatory Bowel Disease face delays in starting treatment, and that IBD teams are unable to meet the IBD standards. Care is often reactive, disjointed, and there are not enough staff. This makes it impossible for patients to live well with their conditions and leads to high numbers of emergency admissions.
The next Government must make sure that IBD services have the right workforce and resources to provide the care that people with Crohn’s and Colitis need. This includes ensuring there are enough gastroenterologists, IBD nurses, and mental health professionals to support people through their treatment.
3. Recognition for long-term serious conditions
We know that Crohn's and Colitis can affect all areas of life, from work and education, to socialising and relationships. The next UK Government must make sure it puts people with long-term serious conditions at the heart of its decision-making. This includes recognising the serious nature of IBD and ensuring that policies across UK Government reflect the needs and rights of those living with long-term serious conditions.
Your voice is essential in helping us to make these changes happen.
Make sure you’re following us across our social media channels and sign up to our campaigns network to stay up to date with how you can help make a difference. Get involved in campaigning (crohnsandcolitis.org.uk)
