The IBD Unit is a renowned worldwide specialist service, which attracts both national and international referrals. The service has a multidisciplinary approach to patient care; with a team consisting of gastroenterologists, colorectal surgeons, IBD specialist nurses, psychologists/psychiatrists, pharmacists and dietitians. There is a weekly IBD multidisciplinary meeting where the team discuss complex cases to discuss patients on biological treatments. There is a monthly joint transition clinic for young people with IBD.

The IBD clinical nurse specialist team offers a telephone advice line, nurse-led clinics (for patient education, information and support), a dedicated IBD day care unit, immunosuppressant blood monitoring service, inpatient care, and an annual open information event biannual IBD Open Day.

The Unit has a breadth of research work including:

• Intestinal immunology
• Microbiota in IBD and the novel therapy, faecal microbial transplantation or FMT
• Assessment of causes, monitoring and novel treatment of perianal fistulating Crohn’s disease
• Causes and novel treatments for wounds in Crohn’s disease
• Optimisation of surveillance for colorectal cancer in IBD patients
• Assessment of factors involvement in initiation and perpetuation of pouchitis
• Assessment of epigenetic factors involved in IBD
• Optimisation of symptom control for IBD patients, including fatigue, pain and incontinence

The Clinical Research Team also runs clinical trials for patients with IBD.

Members of the IBD team frequently lecture on all aspects of IBD patient care throughout the year nationally and internationally. The team support St Mark’s postgraduate teaching terms, academic courses, and our Annual International Congress: Frontiers in Colorectal and Intestinal Disease. The team also run an annual IBD course and IBD Specialist Nurse training day.

Members of the team publish in high impact journals and contribute to national and international committees including the European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation, British Society of Gastroenterology and United European Gastroenterology.

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