{
  "abstract": "Objective Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, requires consistent high-quality care to reduce variation in patient experience and improve outcomes. The IBD Standards previously published in 2009, 2013 and 2019 have provided an aspirational framework for best practice. Since 2019, two rounds of national benchmarking with patient engagement, healthcare professional (HCP) consultation and new evidence have highlighted areas for quality improvement (QI). We aimed to develop the 2026 IBD UK Standards of healthcare for adults and children, ensuring they reflect current and aspirational best practice and to support future QI initiatives.Methods A multidisciplinary working group of 18 HCPs and 4 people with lived experience assessed the 59 IBD standards from 2019, categorising them as needing no change, minor or major amendment or deletion. New standards were developed through iterative drafting and consensus review, with feedback incorporated from 47 external HCPs and a patient workshop. The 2026 standards remain aspirational, structured across seven domains: the IBD service, pre-diagnosis, newly diagnosed, flare management, surgery, inpatient care and ongoing care.Results The 2026 IBD UK Standards comprise 60 statements: 6 unchanged from 2019, 48 updated, 7 deleted and 6 new. Key themes include multidisciplinary, coordinated care with defined leadership; age-appropriate transition pathways; timely referral from primary care, access to diagnostic tests, treatments and surgery; patient-centred care, including better communication, personalised care plans, shared decision-making and support for self-management; holistic assessment and management of physical, nutritional and psychological need; QI and audit supported by electronic systems; research participation and innovation.Conclusions The 2026 IBD UK Standards provide a contemporary aspirational framework to drive consistent, high-quality, personalised care across the UK. They aim to reduce inequality, improve experience and outcomes through support for patient-centred shared decision-making, national benchmarking, service development, patient involvement and QI.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK",
        "Department of Gastroenterology, Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Christopher A Lamb"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Crohn’s & Colitis UK, Hatfield, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Catherine Picton"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Edinburgh IBD Unit, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Ian Arnott"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Crohn’s & Colitis UK, Hatfield, UK",
        "Wyke Regis and Lanehouse Medical Centre, Weymouth, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Pearl Avery"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Crohn’s & Colitis UK, Hatfield, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Debra Attwood"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Colorectal Surgery, Barking Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, Romford, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Saswata Banerjee"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Gastroenterology, Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Gloucester, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Sarah Bayliss"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Crohn’s & Colitis UK, Hatfield, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Graham Bell"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Radiology, Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, Camberley, UK",
        "Centre for Medical Imaging, University College London, London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Gauraang Bhatnagar"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Crohn’s & Colitis UK, Hatfield, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Caroline Brocklehurst"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Crohn’s & Colitis UK, Hatfield, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Vicky Buckley"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Colorectal Surgery, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK",
        "Imperial College London, London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Valerio Celentano"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Clinical Health Psychology (Gastroenterology), Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Rachel Dodd"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "British Dietetic Association, Birmingham, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Amy Gittins"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Nutrition and Dietetics Department, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Katie Keetarut"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Gastroenterology, South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust, Dundonald, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Gayle Martin"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Rafeeq Muhammed"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Crohn’s & Colitis UK, Hatfield, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Marianne Radcliffe"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Gastroenterology, University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, Brighton, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Fiona Rees"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Gastroenterology, Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust, Wakefield, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Ruth Rudling"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Gastroenterology, Aneurin Bevan Health Board, Newport, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Clare Tibbatts"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Crohn’s & Colitis UK, Hatfield, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Jessica Turner"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Crohn’s & Colitis UK, Hatfield, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Catherine Winsor"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Crohn’s & Colitis UK, Hatfield, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Nathaniel Woo"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Gastroenterology, St Mark’s Hospital, London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Lisa Younge"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Gastroenterology, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK",
        "Leeds Institute of Medical Research, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Christian P Selinger"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK",
        "Department of Gastroenterology, Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK",
        "Crohn’s & Colitis UK, Hatfield, UK",
        "Edinburgh IBD Unit, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK",
        "Wyke Regis and Lanehouse Medical Centre, Weymouth, UK",
        "Department of Colorectal Surgery, Barking Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, Romford, UK",
        "Department of Gastroenterology, Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Gloucester, UK",
        "Department of Radiology, Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, Camberley, UK",
        "Centre for Medical Imaging, University College London, London, UK",
        "Department of Colorectal Surgery, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK",
        "Imperial College London, London, UK",
        "Department of Clinical Health Psychology (Gastroenterology), Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK",
        "British Dietetic Association, Birmingham, UK",
        "Nutrition and Dietetics Department, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK",
        "Department of Gastroenterology, South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust, Dundonald, UK",
        "Department of Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK",
        "Department of Gastroenterology, University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, Brighton, UK",
        "Department of Gastroenterology, Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust, Wakefield, UK",
        "Department of Gastroenterology, Aneurin Bevan Health Board, Newport, UK",
        "Department of Gastroenterology, St Mark’s Hospital, London, UK",
        "Department of Gastroenterology, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK",
        "Leeds Institute of Medical Research, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK",
        "Department of Gastroenterology, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, Cardiff, UK"
      ],
      "name": "IBD UK Board"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Department of Gastroenterology, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, Cardiff, UK"
      ],
      "name": "A Barney Hawthorne"
    }
  ],
  "title": "The 2026 IBD UK Standards of healthcare service design and delivery for adults and children living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis",
  "uid": "a7437d97-ba20-5786-abbe-ab4c7fb8a7a1"
}