A new study shows people in Scotland have the highest rates of gut inflammation conditions in the whole of the UK, as the Scottish government launches a campaign to raise awareness.

New research, led by the University of Nottingham, shows the number of people in the UK living with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) - the two main forms of which are Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis – continues to grow and has been vastly underestimated for years.

Around 1 in every 123 people in the UK are now thought to live with IBD, rising to nearly 1 in every 100 people in Scotland, according to the study funded by Crohn’s & Colitis UK and Coeliac UK.

The research shows more than half a million people in the UK live with IBD – nearly double that of the 300,000 previously estimated.

Crohn’s & Colitis UK says it is concerned about the capacity of the NHS in all four UK nations to deal with the scale of the problem.

The Scottish government has now launched a campaign to raise awareness of the serious and lifelong conditions in response to the findings.

Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Humza Yousaf, said:

“Raising awareness of Crohn’s and Colitis is crucial to ensure we can get people diagnosed as early as possible, and give them the right care and treatment.

“This will help them to get the best support, make informed choices about their diet - and live their lives to the full.”

People receiving treatment for Crohn’s or Colitis need specialist care and support from nurse specialists, dietitians and psychologists, according to the charity, and up to 80% of people with Crohn’s Disease and 15% of those with Ulcerative Colitis will need to have surgery at some point in their lives.

Dr Christian Selinger, Chair of the IBD Committee at the British Society of Gastroenterology, said the workload in IBD has increased over the years:

“The service is under strain as we have more patients and not enough staff. In terms of going forwards, we need to make a clear plea for investment in IBD services and the NHS, in order to deliver a high quality of care to patients and provide a better service.”

Mr Yousaf said work will continue with the third sector and people with the condition to continue “important work” on IBD as part of the Modernising Patient Pathways Programme from the Centre of Sustainable Delivery.

Symptoms of IBD include a sore stomach, recurring diarrhoea, weight loss and extreme tiredness. Both conditions – for which there are no known cures – can cause debilitating pain and, if not treated, lead to complications.

Researchers say barriers to diagnosis likely account for most differences in diagnoses rates of the conditions between groups, and that there is a need for increased public awareness.

The newly launched campaign in Scotland will raise awareness of symptoms with posters and leaflets in GP surgeries and community centres, as well as social media.

Sarah Sleet, CEO of Crohn’s & Colitis UK, said she is “thrilled that the Scottish government is leading the rest of the UK in raising public awareness of Crohn’s and Colitis”:

“We know that there are over 50,000 people in Scotland living with Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis but too many take too long to get diagnosed. For one in four, it’s over a year and nearly half of them end up in A&E in the meantime. Recognising the symptoms of Crohn’s and Colitis, which are widely misunderstood, and having the confidence to talk to a healthcare professional are the first steps on the path to a diagnosis. 

“Our message is simple: if you have frequent diarrhoea, stomach pain or blood in your poo, don’t suffer in silence, go and see your GP. The earlier you find out what’s wrong, the sooner you can get the help you need.”

 

Read more: Scotland's capital global hotspot for IBD; Scots women at the forefront of medical sciences; Pre-eclampsia test approved for NHS Scotland

 

 

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