The 2026 IBD UK Standards of healthcare service design and delivery for adults and children living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis - Summary - MDSpire
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Standards for Healthcare Service Design and Delivery in the UK for Adults and Children with Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis: 2026 Update

  • By

  • Christopher A Lamb

  • Catherine Picton

  • Ian Arnott

  • Pearl Avery

  • Debra Attwood

  • Saswata Banerjee

  • Sarah Bayliss

  • Graham Bell

  • Gauraang Bhatnagar

  • Caroline Brocklehurst

  • Vicky Buckley

  • Valerio Celentano

  • Rachel Dodd

  • Amy Gittins

  • Katie Keetarut

  • Gayle Martin

  • Rafeeq Muhammed

  • Marianne Radcliffe

  • Fiona Rees

  • Ruth Rudling

  • Clare Tibbatts

  • Jessica Turner

  • Catherine Winsor

  • Nathaniel Woo

  • Lisa Younge

  • Christian P Selinger

  • IBD UK Board

  • A Barney Hawthorne

  • April 7, 2026

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Objective:

To develop the 2026 IBD UK Standards of healthcare for adults and children, ensuring they reflect current and aspirational best practice and support future quality improvement initiatives.

Approach:
  • Multidisciplinary Assessment: A working group of 18 healthcare professionals and 4 individuals with lived experience assessed the previous standards, categorizing them and developing new standards through iterative drafting and consensus review.
  • Stakeholder Engagement: Feedback was incorporated from 47 external healthcare professionals and a patient workshop to ensure the standards are comprehensive and relevant.
Key Findings:
  • The2026IBDUKStandardscomprise60statements:6unchangedfrom2019,48updated,7deleted,and6new.Keythemesincludemultidisciplinary,coordinatedcarewithdefinedleadership;age-appropriatetransitionpathways;timelyreferralfromprimarycare;accesstodiagnostictests,treatments,andsurgery;patient-centeredcare,includingbettercommunication,personalizedcareplans,shareddecision-making,andsupportforself-management;holisticassessmentandmanagementofphysical,nutritional,andpsychologicalneeds;qualityimprovementandauditsupportedbyelectronicsystems;andresearchparticipationandinnovation.
Interpretation:

The 2026 IBD UK Standards provide a contemporary framework aimed at driving consistent, high-quality, personalized care across the UK, addressing disparities in care quality.

Limitations:
  • The standards remain aspirational and may not be uniformly implemented across all healthcare settings.
  • Defining outcomes in chronic conditions like IBD can be challenging and subjective, and their perceived importance may vary widely among those with lived experience.
Conclusion:

The standards aim to reduce inequality through enhanced patient involvement and quality improvement initiatives.

Original Source(s)

The 2026 IBD UK Standards of healthcare service design and delivery for adults and children living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis

  • by Christopher A Lamb, Catherine Picton, Ian Arnott, Pearl Avery, Debra Attwood, Saswata Banerjee, Sarah Bayliss, Graham Bell, Gauraang Bhatnagar, Caroline Brocklehurst, Vicky Buckley, Valerio Celentano, Rachel Dodd, Amy Gittins, Katie Keetarut, Gayle Martin, Rafeeq Muhammed, Marianne Radcliffe, Fiona Rees, Ruth Rudling, Clare Tibbatts, Jessica Turner, Catherine Winsor, Nathaniel Woo, Lisa Younge, Christian P Selinger, IBD UK Board, A Barney Hawthorne

  • April 7, 2026

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