Colchester General Hospital launches new support platform for bowel disease patients
The inflammatory bowel disease surgical team at Colchester General Hospital carrying out a procedure Picture: STEPHEN BOND - Credit: STEPHEN BOND
A new “one-stop shop” website has been launched by Colchester General Hospital to help people live well with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Sharmila Gupta, lead surgeon for inflammatory bowel disease at Colchester General Hospital Picture: STEPHEN BOND - Credit: STEPHEN BOND
The platform provides a raft of information and advice for people with ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, known collectively as IBD.
As well as helping patients understand what to expect from diagnosis and treatment, it introduces the staff who provide care at the IBD service.
The site also features patients stories to offer reassurance to those who have recently been diagnosed.
Dr Ian Gooding, consultant gastroenterologist at the hospital, said: “Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis are both complex conditions which last a lifetime.
Dr Ian Gooding, consultant gastroenterologist at Colchester General Hospital Picture: STEPHEN BOND - Credit: STEPHEN BOND
“Our aim is to help our patients reach a point of remission, where they enjoy good health and feel well. However, there will be times when their symptoms return and they have a flare-up or relapse, which is why this website is so important.”
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Alison Fisk runs the Crohn’s and Colitis UK North Essex Network, which is signposted on the website and offers vital support and friendship for patients with IBD and their families or carers.
She said: “We really welcome the launch of this new website, which brings together lots of information which patients will find incredibly useful. We hope it will make the process of receiving a diagnosis and beginning treatment easier for the scores of patients in the Colchester area who are told they have IBD every year.”
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Sharmila Gupta, lead surgeon for IBD at Colchester General Hospital, spearheaded the project.
She said: “We are dedicated to making sure our IBD patients not only receive the highest quality care, but also have the best possible experience when using our services. This website aims to support that by providing patients with a one-stop shop packed full of information to help them following their diagnosis and as they progress through their treatment.”
This Saturday an event will be held at Colchester General Hospital’s Postgraduate Medical Centre between 10am and 12.30pm for people with IBD.
Miss Gupta, dietitian Morgan Serres and consultant gastroenterologist Dr Achuth Shenoy will speak, and there will be an opportunity for people to ask questions and join Crohn’s and Colitis UK.
