On Wednesday 4 November Crohn’s and Colitis UK were supported by television presenter Carrie Grant and local MP Craig Mackinlay at the parliamentary launch of ‘My Crohn’s and Colitis Care’, their new patient guide to the top 10 essentials of a good Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) health service. Currently 1-in-4 IBD services can’t see all urgent referrals within four weeks and this guide is designed to empower people with IBD to get the best from their local health service by working in partnership with their healthcare team.
One South Thanet teenager told Craig, “I was 8 years old when I was diagnosed and have to take medicine every day to prevent me from getting flare ups. However, the medicine I take does not always work and I have been extremely poorly at times. I have to visit a London hospital every 8-12 weeks and have regular blood tests due to my medication.”
Craig Mackinlay, MP for South Thanet said, “I’m pleased that I was able to attend and take part in the launch of this important resource showing support to constituents in South Thanet who are living with Crohn’s Disease or Ulcerative Colitis and to raise awareness of Inflammatory Bowel Disease more generally.
“Crohn’s and Colitis UK offer great support to those that suffer with these diseases and the launch of the ‘My Crohn’s and Colitis Care’ will prove to be invaluable in supporting patients to work in partnership with their healthcare services in order to get the best quality care.”
Television presenter and vocal coach Carrie Grant has been a member and supporter of Crohn’s and Colitis UK since being diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease nearly 20 years ago. She said, “I was very pleased to be able to meet Craig and to discuss issues surrounding IBD. As an IBD patient myself I often have moments of struggle when my IBD gets me down, so I know only too well how important it is to have a great IBD team around me. Others are not so fortunate which is terrible as everyone should be entitled to the best possible healthcare. I was thrilled to be able represent those living with IBD and talk to key decision makers about how we can all work together to make a real difference to others living with IBD.”
The event in Parliament helped to raise awareness of these debilitating conditions and highlighted the need for better healthcare provisions for all of those living with IBD across the UK. There are at least 300,000 people in the UK living with Crohn’s or Colitis, the two main forms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). These chronic conditions can cause ulceration and inflammation in the colon (Ulcerative Colitis) or any part of the digestive system (Crohn’s Disease).
David Barker, Chief Executive at Crohn’s and Colitis UK said, “We are pleased to be able to produce a resource that will help people with IBD get the best support and care from their healthcare team. The impact of these conditions on education, work, social and family life can be devastating. The new resource has been described as the ‘perfect patient companion’ to the UK IBD Standards, the clinical guidelines designed to drive improvements in the quality of healthcare services for people with IBD.”