The participation of paediatric sites in the UK Paediatric IBD Audit in 2008 was a major step forward in helping to ensure that the desired consistent, high quality care is available for all IBD patients, independent of age.
Key recommendations
- There should be a continued focus on multidisciplinary working with sites moving towards the development of the IBD team as outlined in the National IBD Service Standards.
- Improvement in the provision of IBD Clinical Nurse Specialists is required to reach the minimum level of 1.5 WTE per IBD Team as recommended in the National IBD Service Standards.
- Trusts/Health Boards should provide appropriate levels of toilet facilities and make sure that they are suitable for paediatric patients of all ages.
- Immediate efforts should be made to improve stool culture and CDT collection rates for all new and relapsing IBD patients.
- The adoption of national guidelines, such as the Guidelines for the Management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) in Children in the United Kingdom produced by BSPGHAN in October 2008, rather than local guidelines, may help local paediatric units with their care of UC inpatients e.g. for pouch surgery, acute severe UC and heparin use.
- The volume of pouch surgery is very low. Consideration for either regionalisation of pouch surgery and / or liaison with a high volume adult centre may be appropriate.