About IBD Services

The IBD team

We have a large team of professionals providing care for our IBD patients.

The IBD Nursing Service for Adults

The IBD Nursing Service in Leeds is an award winning, innovative, patient focused service. It is one of the largest in the country, supporting around 3,000 adult patients and a smaller number of patients in transition from the paediatric to adult service. It provides a service for local, regional and outside the county patients. We are a small team of 3.8 whole time equivalent Inflammatory Bowel Disease nurses with the support of a full time administrator. We form part of a well-established, highly skilled multidisciplinary team.

Leeds has taken a leading role in the IBD Quality Improvement Program since its inception and participate in annual audit, peer review and action planning to continually improve the service. We have a particular interest in treating patients effectively to improve the quality of their life therefore enabling them to fulfil their potential. We recognise the psychological impact of long term conditions and use a number of interventions to enable patients to develop coping strategies to deal with the unpredictable nature of their disease.

We develop individualised educational and support packages to enable patients to deal with their disease from diagnosis, though flares of their disease, medication changes and surgery. We also help patients to understand the consequences of doing nothing so they can make an informed choice about their care. Pregnancy is a major issue and we support the combined Obstetric/IBD clinic, as well as the combined Surgical/IBD clinic.

We deliver a nurse-led Biological therapies service at the Immune Mediated Inflammatory disease centre at Chapel Allerton hospital with both rheumatology and dermatology nurse specialist services. We also offer a drop in service, give iron infusions and educate patients about sub-cutaneous anti-TNF therapy so they can safely self-administer potentially dangerous medications.

We offer telephone and e-mail consultations and a telephone advice line to both patients and GP’s. Two of us are nurse prescribers and one is undertaking the course this year.

We also participate and support the patient panel which influences decisions which impact upon patient care and lobbies for improvements in the care of this patient group. We attend meetings of and support the work of Crohns ColitisUKand the Ileostomy Association in our own time.

We aspire to improving the quality of life and the quality of treatment for patients with IBD.

Professionals

Information for general practitioners

Patients suspected of having Inflammatory Bowel Disease should be referred via the pathways according to their symptoms. Please see the Leeds Map of Medicine.

For any patients requiring urgent advice regarding admission please contact the on call Gastroenterology registrar via switchboard.

Acute questions problems regarding patients with established IBD under the care of LTHT should go via the IBD nurse helpline 0113 206 8679 or email [email protected] .

Referrals for second opinions and/or tertiary care management should be addressed to an individual consultant and faxed to 0113 206 8851.