Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to improve early diagnosis and treatment for people living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis in Essex.

The Government is committed to improving outcomes for people living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, including those in Essex.

NHS England’s Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) gastroenterology programme is supporting local integrated care boards to reduce unwarranted variation in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) services and to promote earlier diagnosis, proactive disease management, and increased access to IBD specialist nurses. GIRFT recommends measures such as rapid access to specialist review within four weeks, personalised care plans, and expanded endoscopy capacity, which together help shorten diagnostic times and improve treatment pathways for patients.

To strengthen early and accurate diagnosis, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) provides evidence‑based guidance, including on the use of faecal calprotectin testing to differentiate IBD from functional bowel disorders and on ensuring timely referral for specialist assessment. The NICE quality standard for IBD sets out that people with suspected IBD should receive a specialist assessment within four weeks of referral, and local systems, including those in Essex, are expected to take this into account when planning and delivering services.

NHS England has also developed an IBD RightCare scenario, which sets out what high‑quality, joined‑up IBD care should look like across the entire patient pathway, from suspicion of IBD through to diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing management. This tool will support local commissioners and clinicians, including those in Essex, to identify opportunities to streamline referrals, reduce waiting times, and deliver consistent, evidence‑based care.

Together, these initiatives are improving early diagnosis, supporting more personalised and coordinated treatment, and helping to ensure that people with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis in Essex can access high‑quality, timely National Health Service care.