Helen Terry, Director of Policy, Public Affairs and Research, and Elaine Steven, Health Service Development Manager, met with Maureen Watt MSP, the Minister for Public Health in the Scottish Government to raise awareness of the Scottish IBD Quality Improvement Project.

The project is led by a National Steering Group made up of patients, clinicians, other healthcare professionals and Scottish Government officials with the objective of developing a Pan Scotland National Delivery Plan for Inflammatory Bowel Disease, the first of its kind in the UK

The project is conducting pilot work with two NHS Boards: NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and also NHS Highland where a Quality Improvement Framework has been developed against which pilot work is being measured.

Developing the Quality Improvement Framework is crucial because when this project comes to make its final recommendations, the intention is not to suggest every NHS Board follow the same path. What we want to do is to provide a robust framework within which they will be able to develop their own actions and solutions to improve IBD services. Professor Angus Watson

Speaking on behalf of the NHS Highland Pilot Group

The use of innovative IT solutions to improve the accessibility to patients of information on IBD and to make on going patient management easier and more effective is also a central feature of the work.

Ms Watt was supportive of the work of the Steering Group and looks forward to being kept updated as the work of The Steering Group reaches it's conclusion in 2016.

If you would like more information on the project then please feel free to contact: elaine.steven@crohnsandcolitis.org.uk