A new survey conducted by patient charity, Crohn’s and Colitis UK, has found that 100,000 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 IBD as well as helping to cut significant costs to the NHS, yet many health services are not offering the recommended nursing level.

The specialist nurse role provides expert advanced nursing care, being the first point of contact and caring, often during distressing times - coordinating often high cost therapies in a cost effective way - as well as reducing A&E visits, with studies showing that IBD nurses help with a 38% reduction in hospital visits and a 19% reduction in in-patient length of stay. IBD costs the NHS £900 million per year, with the average cost per patient being £3000 per year. These costs are comparable to diabetes or cancer as treatment options can include effective, high cost biological drugs and surgery...