The headlines so far have been bold: move care out of hospitals and into the community, use technology better, focus on prevention, and cut waiting times. These are all positive ambitions. But for people living with complex, lifelong conditions like Crohn’s or Colitis, similar promises have been made before. The real test is whether this plan delivers real, practical change, for the half a million people living with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).  

For our community, reform can’t come quickly enough. Despite medical advances, delayed diagnosis and ineffective treatment remain all too common. Leading to unnecessary disease progression, increased reliance on emergency care, and avoidable hospital admissions. Ultimately damaging people’s lives and placing strain on NHS services. 

So how will we know if the 10-year plan will deliver for tackling IBD? Here is what we’re looking out for when published. 

Is early diagnosis a real priority?

Right now, people with Crohn’s or Colitis often wait years for an accurate diagnosis. Two thirds of adults wait longer more than the recommended four weeks from referral to diagnosis and one in seven wait over a year for their first referral to hospital 

Many are initially told they have other conditions, only to discover much later they are living with IBD. Long waits can mean avoidable complications, unnecessary suffering, and missed chances to start effective treatment early. 

The plan therefore must set out clear steps to reduce diagnostic delays, improved access to diagnostic tests, and stronger clinical pathways to ensure patients are escalated quickly when needed. 

Will patients get access to the specialist teams they need?

IBD care is complex. Specialist nurses, gastroenterologists, dietitians, psychologists and pharmacists all play crucial roles in helping people manage flare-ups, stay well, and avoid hospital stays. 

However, a shortage of specialist  IBD nurses and lack of investment in them and multidisciplinary teams (MDTs), and poor coordination between primary and secondary care mean that many patients end up in hospital unnecessarily.  

While the UK Government so far rightly emphasizes shifting care into the community, this ambition will only succeed if the right staff and services are in place to support patients at every stage of their condition.  

The 10-year plan needs to lay out steps for how it will ensure the specialist workforce, such as IBD nurses will be grown and supported in years to come.  

Is there meaningful involvement of patients and charities?

Patient voice needs to be put at the heart of NHS decision-making.  

For too long, people living with Crohn’s or Colitis have seen decisions made about their care without their voices being heard. Yet nobody understands the reality of living with IBD better than the people managing these conditions every single day. Their insights are not just valuable, they are essential for designing services that work in practice, not just on paper. 

When patients are involved, services can be shaped to better reflect the complexity of real lives, the unpredictability of flare-ups, the psychological impact of chronic illness, and the need for flexible, personalised support. Involving patients helps ensure that pathways are joined-up, that new digital solutions are usable, and that new models of care genuinely meet people’s needs rather than adding new barriers. 

The 10-Year Plan must embed patient voice at every stage, not as an afterthought, but as a core part of service design, delivery and evaluation. Charities like Crohn’s & Colitis UK, who bring together lived experience with clinical insight are ready to support this work.  

The 10-Year Plan will be judged not on its ambition, but on its delivery. 

If the plan delivers on increasing early diagnosis, investing in the staff needed, variation in care, and provides genuine patient involvement, it could offer real hope for the future of Crohn’s and Colitis care. If not, it risks being yet another document full of good intentions, but little real change. 

We’ll be waiting to give you our verdict on the key takeaways from the plan when it is published, so we can keep looking out for everyone affected by Crohn’s and Colitis.