Dear Colleagues
We are looking forward to you joining us in Birmingham for an exciting IBD programme for BSG LIVE'24. We have put together a mixture of exciting science, new developments, and practical advice. BSG LIVE'24 will also mark the end of 3 years with Chris as secretary and Christian as chair of the IBD section. As such, we look back at an exciting and what we hope you find productive period.
The committee developed criteria for BSG endorsement of IBD fellowships in 2022 and there are now six BSG endorsed fellowship posts in the UK. This will pave the way for ensured quality in post-CCT IBD expert training. We see this as a first step to help improve future training and mitigate the effects of the shortening of gastroenterology training to 4 years for those who want to specialise in IBD. In addition, we are currently working with the British Society of Gastrointestinal and Abdominal Radiology to adapt intestinal ultrasound training for the UK and start a training program so that intestinal ultrasound will become widely available within a few years.
In a quickly changing quality improvement landscape, we have developed the BSG IBD key performance indicators, which will form the basis for assessing quality in IBD in the near future. Together with the recently received reports from the IBD UK 2023 patient survey, this will form the basis of quality assessment and improvement.
With COVID now a distant memory, we reflect on the work done during the pandemic and the health service recovery thereafter. Vaccine advice, the ending of the IBD COVID safety grid and service initiatives to mitigate the effect of COVID on IBD services dominated 2022 and were hotly debated during our monothematic meeting in February 2023 in Liverpool.
You all will have had to deal with the short comings of UK homecare services for advanced IBD medications. Together with colleagues from CCUK and aligned societies looking after other IMID patients, we have pushed hard for the reform of the sector. Christian gave evidence to the House of Lords enquiry last year that finally led to NHS England reviewing and reforming the sector. We hope to see significant improvements in the next couple of years.
The main IBD guideline process is nearly complete and we are looking forward to the publication of the guidelines in early 2025. The IBD endoscopy surveillance guideline will follow shortly thereafter.
While we have achieved a considerable amount in the last 3 years in an ever-changing IBD landscape, the challenges ahead are not to be underestimated. With Shahida Din as the new chair and Gareth Parkes as the new secretary, we are confident that the IBD section is in excellent hands.
Best wishes,
Christian and Chris
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