IBS charity welcomes new NICE guidelines

17th March 2016

The national charity for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) has welcomed new guidelines published by the National Institute of Care Excellence (NICE) about how health professionals diagnose and treat the condition.

Sheffield-based The IBS Network believes the publication of the standards will increase the awareness and understanding of IBS within the healthcare sector while ensuring that patients are offered comprehensive management of the condition. The standards are as follows: 1. Adults with symptoms of IBS are offered tests for inflammatory markers as first-line investigation to exclude inflammatory causes. 2. Adults with symptoms of IBS are given a positive diagnosis if no red flag indicators are present and investigations identify no other cause of symptoms. 3. Adults with IBS are offered advice on further dietary management if their symptoms persist after they have followed general lifestyle and dietary advice. 4. Adults with IBS agree their follow-up with their healthcare professional. Each standard consists of a prioritised set of specific, concise and measurable statements. They draw on existing guidance, which provides a comprehensive set of recommendations to support improvement. Having these tests will help their GP to find out what might be causing their symptoms and to diagnose their condition. Nick Read, chair of The IBS Network, said: -The publication of the NICE guidelines marks a step forward for those living with IBS. Part of our aim as the national charity for IBS is to work with healthcare professionals to ensure a collaborative approach in terms of the care and treatment of those with the condition, and this will go some way to helping us achieve this. The IBS Network is hosting a free one-day event on 16 April at the Holiday Inn Royal Victoria Hotel, Sheffield, inviting both patients and the health professionals that care for them to come together to discuss the condition. For a free ticket for the conference visit The IBS Network website. IBS affects around a third of the population at some point in their lives and about one in ten people suffer symptoms severe enough to seek help from their GP. Through membership, Sheffield-based The IBS network provides access to specialist healthcare professionals for medical advice, use of the IBS Network Medical Helpline which offers confidential support and guidance from specialist advisors.